The Gun Flashcards
Themes
- Power shown by the gun’s influence within household + change evoked
- Gender and stereotypes about domestic relationships
- Conflict
Summary
About how a gun can cause violence and death as well as changing a family
“Bringing a gun into a house changes it”
Personification of the gun throughout as a living entity. Short end-stopped stanza presents a sudden uncertain form of change. Misdirects reader as they imddeiately expect change to be negative as a gun has negative connotations surrounding it - not seen as homely, domestic item
“Stretched out like something dead”
The use of this simile corresponds to how a gun causes death - evokes uncomfortable tone, suggesting the gun doesn’t belong in the kitchen or the house
“Grey shadow” , “Green-checked cloth”
Juxtaposing colour imagery showing that the gun corrupts and transgresses this domestic world
“Dangling on orange string from trees in the garden.” - “Then a rabbit shot clean through the head”
Represents a Volta - to show a change from a world of innocence and play to brutal + deadly violence + skilled
“Soon the fridge fills with creatures”
Gun further corrupting the domestic world
“Your hands reek of gun oil and entrails.”
Verb - the character has been contaminated and polluted, a continuous act
“Your eyes gleam like when sex was fresh”
Simile - when the gun brings erotic thrill, re-emerged desire. The eyes are a symbol of sexual desire and passion linking the idea of violence and primitive thrill of sex together. The gun has renewed their relationship making it better
“A gun brings a house alive”
Single line, mirrors the opening however change is more certain bringing a sense of vitality and energy. Contrasting ideas of life and death.
“The King of Death”
Metaphor and personification could link to the idea of the grim reaper, however the idea of ‘king’ could almost be suggesting royalty and should be respected
“His Black mouth sprouting golden crocuses”
The contrast between ‘black’ and ‘golden’ could be referencing to the alternation between life and death but also how ironically death can be rejuvenating, and that with death also comes life.
“crocuses” = first flower of the spring, new life sprouting from death
To preserve life, you need to inflict death
“Cooking: jointing and slicing, stirring and tasting”
List of verbs
- brought back to traditional gender roles
man = hunter
woman = preparer
“Wood stock/ jutting over the edge”
Enjambment represents how the gun, being inside the house symbolises a barrier being crossed, its a transgressive act, reiterated by ‘jutting over the edge’. Sense of speaker’s rising emotion
