Passage to Africa

Question 1

‘a mixture of pity and revulsion. Yes, revulsion’

Answer 1

Pity is obvious

Adjective ‘revulsion’ is unprecedented. May be considered taboo and inhumane

Insistence gives account ring of noble truth (ethos)

By confirming his emotion, it engages us as we are intrigued to see this man admit something usually deemed unacceptable

Blunt tone makes it even more shocking

Question 2

‘The smell of decaying flesh’

Answer 2

Old woman is dehumanised

Repetition of sensory language from previous sentences shows how disgusting conditions are

Heightens sense of disgust through dysphemism-deliberately harsh language

Conveys shock and it is hard hitting

Vivid imagery

Question 3

‘Habiba had died. No rage, no whimpering, just a passing away’

Answer 3

Simple sentence-emotionless

Clinical tone

Anaphora-emphasise how commonplace death is

No emotion when it happens

‘just’ emphasises how it is very commonplace