The Explorers Daughter

Question 1

In medias res

Answer 1

The passage starts in the middle of the hunt without build up:

This creates a sense of immediacy and emphasises that the focus is on the hunters and the hunted

Question 2

Imagery

Answer 2

Herbert depicts the beauty of nature using imagery:

She describes the narwhal as “catching the light in a spectral play of colour” conveying an ETHERAL atmosphere

She also conveys how small the hunters are in comparison to the natural world, by describing their appearance on the water as a “vast, waterborne game”:

The simile implies that there will be winners and losers in this “game”

Question 3

Declarative sentence

Answer 3

The declarative sentence “Hunting is still an absolute necessity in Thule” is an emphatic reminder of the fragility of the people’s existence and the importance of hunting for their survival

Question 4

Long paragraphs

Answer 4

Long, informative and descriptive paragraphs convey the patience and time required by the men on the hunt, and their wives to watch and wait

Question 5

Facts, information and specialised language

Answer 5

The writer provides factual information about the narwhal and why they are an “essential contributor to the survival of the hunters”:

Her use of specialist language reinforces her first-hand experience and makes her a reliable witness

Question 6

Different perspectives

Answer 6

Herbert presents the information and description in the passage from the point of view of the hunters, their wives and Western society:

This suggests that it is difficult for the writer, or us, to reach a moral judgement, as there are different sides to the story