quotations to analyse Flashcards
“release too, from the noose of disgust and despair drawn, these past few days, so much tighter” (ch1)
Shows Duror is miserable and suffering in his obsession. the metaphor of “noose” shows he is trapped by it, and also foreshadows his later suicide. “disgust and despair” are both strong word choices which connote extreme negative emotions.
“monstrously obese” (ch2)
Duror’s description of his wife shows his disgust for her. The word choice of “monstrously” makes her sound terrifying and inhuman, which s how he sees her. he therefore has no close relationships.
“The wood had always been his stronghold and sanctuary…the wood was invaded and defiled” (Duror, ch1)
the word choice of “defiled” Duror’s only place to feel safe and calm has now been ruined for him by the addition of Calum. The metaphor of “sanctuary” suggests a place of safety and protection, which also has religious overtones, thus reinforcing the symbolism of the wood as Eden.
“a conscious surrender to evil” (ch2)
When Duror considers engineering the plan to have Calum thrown out of the wood he realises he is starting to give into the madness. the word choice of “conscious” shows he knows this is a choice he is deliberately making.
“He hung there and kept swinging…though he smiled he was dead”
Calum’s death at the end again subtly links him to Christ. Christ was also hung from a wooden cross when crucified (linking to earlier when Duror decided that Calum’s ending must be “a crucifixion”). He was also ‘sacrificed’ to rid the world of evil.
“That dismissal might be his own liberation” (ch 2)
In the earlier stages of the novel, Duror still thinks that if he can get Calum out of the wood he can defeat his madness. The word choice of “liberation” suggests that Duror badly wants to be free of his madness, not controlled by it.
“he saw another way, clear, like a sunlit ride in a thick wood”
Duror knows that he could confide in Effie Morton, or maybe even have a romantic relationship with her. There are people who wold try to help him, but he chooses not to seek help. The simile compares his life after seeking help and friendship to sunlight, in contrast to the darkness his madness is compared to repeatedly. This shows a clear contrast between good and evil.
“He seemed to be laughing in some kind of beserk joy” (ch6)
From the deer drive, right before he slits the deer’s throat. The word choice of “beserk” connotes that he is completely insane in this moment as he goes to savagely kill the deer in front of Calum.
“do you really, he thought, see this tree growing and spreading in my mind? And is its fruit madness?” (ch2)
The symbol of the tree is used to convey Duror’s growing madness. The word choice of “growing and spreading” shows that it is getting stronger. A tree’s roots are strong, invisible and almost impossible to remove. They are also sick on the inside for a long time before showing it on the outside.
“Men and women and children too, at this very minute, are having their legs blown away and their faces burnt off them” (ch1)
We are constantly reminded of the wider setting in World War Two. the wood is a microcosm of this bigger war between good and evil , thus reinforcing the theme. The word choice of “children” reminds us that innocent people get caught up in this conflict and suffer too.
“his going therefore must be a destruction, an agony, a crucifixion” (ch6)
Duror’s turning point, at the deer drive. It will not be enough to simply get Calum out the wood, as he will still be happy while Duror is not. The word choice of “agony” shows he must make Calum as miserable as he is. The metaphor of “crucifixion” again links Calum to Christ and foreshadows his death at the end.
“as if in that bright sunshine he lacked a shadow”
Duror is linked repeatedly to darkness and the devil. The lack of shadow is a trait associated with demons.
“A face so beautiful and guileless” (Ch1 )
The word choice of “guileless” means there is no sneakiness or capability to tell lies in Calum. He is completely innocent and therefore a Christ-like figure symbolic of pure goodness.
“ ‘You told me yourself’ he muttered intensely, ‘never to be quiet if I saw injustice being done’ “ (ch6)
Roderick symbolises fairness and justice. we can see how he naturally embodies the virtues his mother tries to uphold in theory but rarely manages in practice. The word choice of “intensely” shows how deeply important it is to him to see right done.
“always shown a self-forgetfulness in opposing any act of injustice or cruelty” (ch10)
The word choice of “always “ and “any” shows that Roderick is completely consistent in his goodness and insistence upon fairness.
