The Cone Gatherers - War

Question 1

“A destroyer had steamed seawards…”

Answer 1

• The word choice of ‘destroyer’ has connotations of ruin and destruction.
• The introduction of the warship, therefore, introduces the theme of war.
• The sibilance with ‘steamed seawards’ emphasises the impact of the ship through sound.
• Sibilance often has negative connotations which emphasise the negative presence.

Question 2

Duror about John Farquarson (“soldiering in Africa”): “The envy that he felt, corrosive and agonising, was again reduced outwardly to a faint smile.”

Answer 2

• Duror is burning up with jealousy as he wants to fight in the war. The contrast between ‘smile’ and ‘envy’ highlights that he is masking his emotions – this will not be helping his mental health.

Question 3

“Didn’t somebody say on the wireless that in war-time everybody’s equal?”

Answer 3

• This quote relates to the key themes of class division and war. The alliterative ‘everybody’s equal’ highlights the key idea that after the war the class system will be damaged and there will be more equality.

Question 4

“He had read often in the newspapers… that the war was being fought so that ordinary humble people could live in peace without being bullied and enslaved by brutal men with power; but… he had never consciously seen himself or Calum in any way involved.

Answer 4

• Microcosm/ macrocosm suggests that the smaller world of Lendrickmore Estate represents the larger world at war. Here, Neil tells us that the war is being fought to stop overpowering rulers. He doesn’t see himself or Calum represented in this, yet he is being overpowered and ‘bullied’ by both Lady R-C and Duror. The war represents the break down of the class system as it stood at this time.