THEME: Identity And Belonging Flashcards
Finish the quote:
‘It feels… in his hand and fits…. He points it at the…. Pouf’
‘It feels heavy in his hand and fits perfectly. He points it at the door. Pouf’
Chapter 29
Finish the quote:
‘It now… to you. It’s your small patch of the…. It’s arranged with the committee and I’m your…’
‘It now belongs to you. It’s your small patch of the planet. It’s arranged with the committee and I’m your sponsor’
Chapter 30
Finish the quote:
‘They are all… of … men […] one with his … in the air and a … round his neck’
‘They are all posters of black men[…] one with his fist in the air and a medal round his neck’
Chapter 18
Finish the quote:
‘We are the consequence of…. We are the … you made’
‘We are the consequence of history. We are the warriors you made’
Chapter 33
Analyse the quote:
‘It feels heavy in his hand and fits perfectly. He points it at the door. Pouf’
Could be interpreted as a metaphor for Leon’s struggles with his identity and his desire for agency in a world when he often feels powerless
-the feeling of the adjective ‘heavy’ signifies the weight of his experiences and emotions, reflecting the burdens he carries as a young boy in foster care. It may suggest he is grappling with significant issues related to to his identity, such as his racial background and the separation from his family
- the fact it “fits perfectly” indicates a moment of connection or understanding where Leon feels a sense of control, even if it’s fleeting.
- the sound imagery ‘pouf’ signifies action which may symbolise a desire to break free from the constraints of his current situation. It captures his yearning for belonging and the hope he can create his own identity separate from the labels and limitations imposed on him by society (specifically 1980s Birmingham when there were several racial uprisings as a result of unfair treatment by police towards black citizens)
Analyse the quote:
‘It now belongs to you. It’s your small patch of the planet. It’s arranged with the committee and I’m your sponsor’
- this statement reflects the idea of Leon claiming space as a place of belonging.
-by saying ‘it now belongs to you’ it as if Tufty is granting Leon a sense of ownership over his life and environment, which is particularly poignant given his experiences of displacement and feelings of marginalisation throughout the novel
- The description of a ‘small patch of the planet’ symbolises a personal space where Leon is able to establish and grow his feeling of identity and sense of belonging, contrasting with the larger societal forces that have often alienated him
- Tufty establishing himself as Leon’s ‘sponsor’ implies the supportive relationship that he offers to Leon, where Tufty takes on a role of guidance in aiding him to discover his identity. This mentor relationship is particularly significant as Leon lacks many positive mentors that he is able to relate to.
Analyse the quote:
‘They are all posters of black men[…] one with his fist in the air and a medal round his neck’
- The striking symbol of the man’s ’fist in the air’ alludes to powerful and influential black figures in the 80s such as tommie smith described as having ‘his fist in the air and a medal around his neck’ which he later stated was a ‘human rights salute’, however, since then has been interpreted as a symbol of black power
- This powerful gesture is a turning point in Leon’s discovery of his identity as a mixed race child in the 1980s as Tufty exposes him to his culture and history
Analyse the quote:
‘We are the consequence of history. We are the warriors you made’
-From ‘ode to Castro’
- speaks to the impact of historical and societal forces on individual identities and experiences. It suggests that characters such as Tufty, Leon, Castro and mr Devlin who have come from marginalised backgrounds have been shaped by legacies of the past such as the prevalent systematic racism experienced by many in 1980s Birmingham as well as wide spread social injustice
-The phrase ‘consequences of history’ implies that the struggles and challenges faced by the characters are not just on a personal level of Castro’s death but are rooted in broader historical contexts e.g the SUS laws and racial prejudice within the country
