the manhunt Flashcards
1
Q
overview
A
The Manhunt is written from the perspective of Laura who is married to Eddie. Eddie came back from war injured after serving as a peacekeeper in the Bosnian war in the 1990’s. He suffered from PTSD. The purpose of the poem is to make people remember the forgotten soldiers. The word ‘the’ in the title shows how this poem is specifically about Eddie which makes the poem more personal. Laura is actively searching for the person Eddie used to be before the war because his experiences changed him. The Manhunt is about Eddie’s long and rough road to recovery.
2
Q
beginning
A
- The author starts describing the physical injuries he has. He has a ‘frozen river’ across his face. The metaphor suggests how, because the husband cant move his face due to the scar, he can’t show his emotions.
3
Q
middle
A
- The wife will ‘mind and attend the fractured rudder’ of his shoulder. The word ‘and’ emphasises just how many injuries Eddie has. The metaphor of the ‘fractured rudder’ suggests how he has no control of his life and doesn’t know what his purpose is because of his injury.
- The author then describes his ‘grazed heart.’ The word ‘grazed’ suggests that this is a minor injury and that it can heal quickly. The heart is symbolic and suggests that his relationship is fragile but he can love again.
4
Q
end
A
- The husband has also got hidden injuries such as the ‘unexploded mine deep in his mind.’ The ‘unexploded mine’ could be his temper which is always close to exploding due to his PTSD.
- Finally, the wife says ‘only then, did I come close.’ This suggests how the recovery has to continue for the relationship between the wife and husband to get stronger. The phrase ‘only then’ suggests how long the recovery has been. The comma that breaks up the sentence suggests how the recovery isn’t smooth.
5
Q
form & structure
A
- The order of ideas shows the discovery of his injuries which is why the first one is the easiest to see but the last one is mental and therefore harder to see.
- All the stanzas being broken up shows how the soldier is broken and the lines with different lengths suggest how the recovery is uneven.
