Thirteen Flashcards
4 minutes
’ You will be 4 minutes from home’
- The use of future modal verb ‘will’ - makes it seem inevitable, definitely will occur - inevitability fo being stopped by police if black and male
- makes it seem relatable and personal
-
warm teeth
‘You will show the warmth of your teeth’
- teeth (bone, cold lifeless) and warmth juxtaposition conveys inevatbilty of situation
Juxtaposition with “powerless” “fear” “dying stars” showing the contrast about the dream he was sold about his potential to the reality of racial predujice presenting the police in a negative light - they lied
lots for organs
Plump/ You will watch as the two men cast lots for your organs’
- animalistic, not if they get his organs, who will get his organs - Police power over black man - certainity they will get organs
LNK modal verb “will”
- just flesh, nothing more
- ‘plump’ - adjective used to describe game birds
dying stars
‘dying stars/on the verge of becoming black holes’
- reversal of situation, only stars of youth, now viewed as black holes, take eveything, no giving light
- ‘on the verge’ - about to become a threat
LNK “you were all supernovas the biggest and brightest stars”
bright futures to negative future - police was deliberately lying/misleading in his praise - police vs black people
LNK - you will show warmth of teeth
thirteen
You fit the description of a man? – You’ll laugh. Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.’
- ‘laugh’ has connnotations of happiness which is uncanny in the situation, lamb to the slaughter - unaware of danger / disbielf
- ‘Thirteen’ - repetition shows incredulity of the situation, can be contrasted with ‘man’ showing the innocence of the kid compared to a “man” thirteen youngest teenager year emphasising his innocence
rhetorical 2
“Dont you remember me?”
Boys disbelief has turned into fear as police officers are serious
LNK “You fit the description of a man”
