The Emigrée Flashcards
Carol Rumens
context:
+ author
+ fascination
+ meaning of title
+ carol rumens
+ fascination with elsewhere- in emigree, the narrator wants to be somewhere else
+ emigrée = female reguee in french- indicating the hardships that the narrator has gone through.
person
1st person- emotional retelling
stanza & rhyme
3x 8 line stanzas- rigid and how she is trapped in her new city
no rhyme- shows her internal conflict that she experiences
punctuation + shift
S1&2: enjambent- showing the overflow of emotion and freedom she had in her hometown
S3: end stopping of lines + causera = how she is confined in her new city
change of memories across 3 stanzas + ending of each stanza (EPISTROPHE)
her memories become stronger as time passes- city starts of as a distant memory in S1 and morphs into a physical presence that takes her dancing in S3
each stanza ends with ‘sunlight’ –> symbol of hope and purity that she sees in her city
‘There was once a ——– … my ——– of it is —light - c—-‘
There was once a country… my memory of it is sunlight-clear
alt: while the opening makes it seem like a story, it uncovers a sense of loss due to the temporal deixis
motif of sunlight- shows that she will always have positive impressions of the country - alt- yearns to be back
‘the b—-, filled p———-‘
the bright, filled paperweight
metaphor shows that she has eternally positive memories
alt; the use of the word paperweight indicates they can’t be changed creating a sorry, guilt-ridden atmosphere
‘sick with ——-‘
sick with tyrants
indicates that the speaker’s positive views would not be reciprocated today
‘I am ——– by an ——– of ———’
I am branded by an impression of sunlight
suggests that her memories are permanent and cannot be changed, so will be eternally positive
fact it can’t change suggests that she will never be able to return to her country- loss
branded-city is part of her character
’—– streets … —-‘
white streets … glow
presents city as a heavenly utopia
however the use of the word glow may also be a reference to fire and explosions- perpetually reinforcing the reader with images of war, makes us sympathise with the narrator- angered at the tyrants
‘It tastes of ——–’
It tastes of sunlight
gustatory imagery (taste) creates a vivid experience which is filled with delight
‘I have no ——-‘
I have no passport
creates a mood of hopelessness and a sense of finality, indicating the pain caused by human conflict
‘My city takes me ——– through the city of —–’
My city takes me dancing through the city of walls
personfies the city and juxtaposes it with her current city. freedom vs entrapment. highlights her hate for current city.
alt- she is in love with her city
both views combine to show her unwavering sense of nostalgia to her old city
‘They ——- me …. They ——- me of being —- in their —- city’
They accuse me … They accuse me of being dark in their free city
empahtic repition shows discrimination faced- not welcome- violent tone
dark = on one hand - racism and discrimination, on the other hand juxtaposes with white of old city- showing that she hates her new city as it is total opposite
their = not hers, doesn’t feel welcome
ridicules her new city- ironic, even though old country sick with tyrants, still more free
how is memory presented
+ eternal - even though she left as a child, she is still branded (permanence) by an impression of sunlight- branded- create a sense of war, which suggests that despite the war, her memories will always be positive for the rest of eternity
+ vivid experience- personifies city- like reality- memory and reality are blurred.
+ personal and can’t be changed = 1st person narrator= personal, epistrophe of sunlight shows that these personal memories can’t be changed and will always remain with you
+ unreliable- sick with tyrants & glow of slopes (may seem peaceful) but also hint that her city has been decimated and the glow represents the warefare and explosions ensuing
