Originally Flashcards
We came from our own country
First person plural pronouns
“We” “our own” - suggests that the decision to move has impact her entire family. Also creates a sense of belonging to their native roots.
red room
Symbolism
“Red” symbolises anger which reflects how Duffy felt about having to move. It could also symbolise the danger as she doesn’t know what could happen when she moves.
A “Room” can be empty which suggests that Duffy was feeling lonley as they moved.
fell through the fields
Word Choice/Alliteration
Suggests that Duffy was feeling out of control as she couldn’t do anything to change the fact that they were moving. Also suggests that she was feeling lost.
our mother singing
Contrast
“singing” suggests that her mother was excited to move which contrast Duffy’s and her brothers negative attitude towards the move.
What does the enjambement in the first three lines suggest?
That this was a long jounrey.
bawling, Home, Home
Word choice/Repetition
“bawling” suggests that her brothers were distraught about moving.
“Home, Home” the repetition emphasises that this is something they all really wanted. The capitalisation of “Home” suggests the importance that it had to them.
The fact that her brothers are being vocal about their unhappiness contrasts Duffy’s approach who just “stared”.
as the miles rushed back to the city
Emphasises that Duffy felt out of control as she couldn’t control where they were moving and she was not happy about this. She wanted to go back home.
to the city, the streets, the house, the vacant rooms where we didn’t live any more.
The list is getting smaller as it goes which emphasises how much they have left behind and it is bringing as sense of loss to Duffy.
I stared
Contrast
A contrast to the way how her brothers have been about the move - very vocal - whereas, Duffy is being silent about it.
at the eyes of a blind toy, holding it paw.
Symbolism
“Blind” symbolises and reflects how Duffy herself is unaware of the future in the new place where they are moving to.
She is “holding its paw” as this is one of the few things that are familiar to her and thus, she can use it to comfort her which her “singing” mother is not doing.
All childhood is an emigration.
Metaphor
Just as the journey from childhood into adulthood is stressful and people don’t know what to expect from it, so too is the journey from one country to another as you people have to leave the comfort of their own country and move somewhere else which they might not know much about either.
Some are slow, leaving you standing, resigned, up an avenue where no one you know stays.
The long sentence is full of commas to slow the sentence down which mirrors how some transitions can take some time.
Others are sudden. Your accent wrong.
Short sentences show how some changes happen too quickly which is mirrored by the short sentences. “You accent wrong” shows that Duffy found it hard to assimilate into the new society at first.
Big boys eating worms
Creates a tense environment as the boys seem weird and threatening to Duffy.
My parents’ anxiety stirred like a loose tooth
Simile
Just as loose tooth causes people to worry and keep the thought that their tooth might fall out at any moment, so too were the parents uncertain about how at any moment their lives could fall apart because of this emigration.
