Originally Flashcards
What color is the room mentioned in the text?
Red
What is the mother doing in the text?
Singing
What does the father’s name relate to in the text?
The turn of the wheels
What are the brothers doing in the text?
Crying
What word is repeated by one of the brothers?
Home
What is rushing back to the city?
The miles
What specific locations are mentioned in the text?
- The street
- The house
- The vacant rooms
What does the narrator observe in the text?
The eyes of a blind toy
Fill in the blank: ‘I stared at the eyes of a blind ______.’
[toy]
True or False: The family still lives in the house mentioned in the text.
False
What does the phrase ‘All childhood is an emigration’ suggest?
It suggests that childhood involves a journey or transition, often filled with feelings of displacement.
What does the author mean by ‘Some slow, Leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue’?
It refers to gradual changes in childhood that can leave one feeling abandoned or lost.
In the context of the text, what does ‘Others are sudden’ imply?
It implies that some changes in childhood occur abruptly and unexpectedly.
What feelings does the phrase ‘Your accent wrong’ evoke?
It evokes feelings of alienation and the struggle to fit in.
What does ‘unimaginable, pebble-dashed estates’ symbolize?
It symbolizes unfamiliar and possibly unwelcoming environments.
What do ‘big boys eating worms’ represent?
They represent the harsh realities and challenges of childhood.
What does ‘shouting words you don’t understand’ convey?
It conveys a sense of confusion and isolation.
What does ‘My parents’ anxiety stirred like a loose tooth’ suggest?
It suggests that there is constant irritation. This is a simile.
What does the desire for ‘our own country’ signify?
It signifies a longing for belonging and a place where one feels safe and understood.
What emotion is expressed when the speaker sees their brother swallow a slug?
A skelf of shame
‘Skelf’ refers to a small splinter or a feeling of discomfort.
What does the speaker compare the shedding of their tongue to?
Like a snake
This suggests a transformation or loss of identity.
In the classroom, how does the speaker’s voice sound?
Just like rest
This implies a sense of monotony or disengagement.
What does the speaker feel they have lost?
A river, culture, speech, sense of first space, and the right place
These represent aspects of identity and belonging.
What question do strangers ask the speaker?
Where do you come from?
This highlights the theme of identity and origin.
What does the speaker hesitate to answer?
Originally
This indicates uncertainty about their origins.
