originally important quotes & analysis Flashcards
we came from our own country
the words we and our give a sense of belonging. The word own suggests possessiveness and reveals a sense of pride and desire to come from a place she identifies with. It also suggests she is upset about the move and so we are made immediately aware of a sense of divide and difference now that she has left her birthplace.
your accent wrong
this short sentence emphasises the change in the way everyone speaks around her. The word ‘wrong’ suggests judgement and that everyone thinks she doesn’t fit in or belong. This emphasies that she feels awkward and out of place
but then you forget, or don’t recall, or change. See your brother swallow a slug feel only a skelf of shame
‘but’ suggests a change in direction, sibilance creates a soft sound which suggests the idea is not as repulsive as it once was. ‘skelf’ is a Scottish word which suggests she still wants to keep her Scottish culture and original identity. ‘skelf’ means splinter which suggests barely any shame.
do i only think i lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space and the right place?
this question suggests she is confused and she is reflecting. The list emphasises the scale and variety of how much she has lost. The word ‘right’ suggests a lack of belonging and connection
Now where do you come from? Originally? And I hesitate
This question is in italics to emphasise it’s importance, it’s difficult to answer as when people ask her she feels a sense of disconnection. The minor sentence ‘And I hesitate’ emphasises that it’s not an easy question to answer. Originally? Is an inevitable question suggesting her identity lies in Scotland so it is difficult for her to fully feel a sense of belonging.
‘My parents anxiety stirred like a loose tooth in my head.’
A loose tooth is annoying and always there - you want it gone just as her parents are constantly worried about her and they’d like to get rid of it but it’s still there
‘Big boys eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand.’
’ big boys’ is a childish term which suggests they intimidate her. Repetition of ‘b’ sound creates a harsh sound emphasising that she is intimidated - plosive. Eating worms is a disgusting act she is not used to. ‘shouting words you don’t understand’ suggests she feels awkward and vulnerable.
‘others are sudden’
this short sentence emphasises that some changes are quick and emphasises the shock. Some people feel vulnerable as changes are unexpected.
‘corners which seem familiar leading to unimagined pebble dashed estates’
‘corner’ has connotations of being trapped. ‘seems familiar’ suggests that she’s uncertain. ‘ unimagined pebble dashed estates’ suggests the houses are foreign and strange
‘the streets, the house, the vacant rooms where we didn’t live anymore’
The list emphasises the scale and variety of everything they have lost. The size decreases the more she goes on. They’ve lost their community, then a smaller neighbourhood and the vacant rooms which is a personal phrase. It emphasies the fact their home is gone, it’s empty of possessions and memories. The fact she can’t even use the word home anymore suggests her loss pains her
’ I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake’
This simile is effective as it emphasies the natural changes that occur as one grows up. Duffy is leaving her childhood years just as a snake gets older it loses its skin
My voice in the classroom sounding just like the rest’
Her new voice allows her to feel like she belongs in the classroom. We get this from the fact she sounds ‘ like the rest’ of the people in her class. We can assume these people grew up in england
