Remains Flashcards
What emotional after effects of war are presented in Remains?
More so presents the inner torment experienced by a soldier who killed a looter. Explores how he blames himself, his internal struggle and state of depression.
What quotes show this?
“on another occasion, we get sent out/to tackle looters raiding a bank”
repetition of “possibly armed, possibly not”
“I see every round as it rips through his life” “I see broad daylight on the other side”
“tosses his guts back into his body./Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.”
“End of story, except not really”
“Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds.”
“His blood-shadow stays on the street”
“and the drink and drugs won’t flush him out”
“he’s here in my head when I close my eyes,/dug in behind enemy lines”
“his bloody life in my bloody hands.”
Annotate “on another occasion, we get sent out/to tackle looters raiding a bank”
“on another occasion”
- “another” suggests routine
- they have become desentisised and numb towards life-threatening and distressing situations
- pragmatic
“sent out”
-indicating he had no choice- removing the responsibility as a coping mechanism
“tackle”
- verb illustrates more of a game or sport
- not something malicious or violent
- this is euphemistic and revealing of his inner guilt
Repetition of “probably armed, possibly not”
Shows how he suffers from PTSD. He has broken memories because it is his mind protecting him from the trauma of the reality of the situation.
“I see every round as it rips through his life-/ I see broad daylight on the other side.”
repetition of “I see”
- present tense
- emphasises how his PTSD has affected him
- that moment still replays in his head
- he is beng haunted by his guilt
“rips”
metaphor for the pain the soldier experience because of him
“daylight”
metaphor
grotesque imagery juxtaposed with daylight represents the end of a war but at a deathly cost
-he feels guilt for being able to see another day when he had just ended someone’s life
annotate “tosses his guts back into his body./Then he’s carted off in the back of a lorry.”
“tosses”
the body wasn’t respectfully buried, it was carelessly handled
“a” (lorry)
- no value or care for this body
- he doesn’t even know where he will end up
“His blood shadow stays on the street”
“shadow” metaphor for the soldier’s dark past
“stays”
aftermath of war is inescapable
-he and others will be haunted by their memories
“flush”
- wants to be cleansed of his guilt.
- feels dirty or tainted
- implying that he has sinned
“Dream, and he’s torn apart by a dozen rounds.”
“dream” -a safe place in your sleep juxtaposed with “rounds”
He never feels safe as he is disrupted by the trauma haunting him.
“rounds” is a metaphor for his thoughts, suggesting that his own thoughts are wounding and scarring him. Scars don’t ever go away- so his dark past will follow him around for the rest of his life like a “shadow”.
What can you say about the structure of ‘Remains’?
Every stanza is four lines. The structure reflects his desire for control and stability; ironically, his thoughts are chaotic and he feels “agony”.
However, there is a couplet at the end. Ultimately, when he has to face his trauma he can’t keep up the consistency. The personal pronoun “my” shows his acknowledgement of his own actions and guilt. There is a sense of acceptance by the end.
“myself and somebody else and somebody else”
Reminds us of the state when he wanted to blame others and remove some responsibility from himself.
