Waking with Russell Flashcards
“we woke up face-to-face like lovers”
The simile conveys the intimacy between the father and son and shows the depth of their connection, as if they are what is most important to each other.
“the smile poured through us like a river”
The simile comparing Russell’s smile and its effect to a river indicates that is is powerful and unstoppable.
‘poured through us’ implies that Russell’s smile connects them, filling them both with joy.
“the true path was as lost to me as ever when you cut in front and lit it as you ran”
This suggests that Paterson did not have purpose in life until the birth of his son.
The alliteration of the ‘t’ sound emphasised how suddenly and completely Russell’s birth changed his life.
The word choice of ‘cut’ and ‘ran’ add to the suddenness of the change Russell’s birth made.
The word choice of ‘lit’ links to previous ideas of dawn and waking - Russell has brought light and understanding to Paterson’s life.
The word choice of ‘in front’ highlights how important Russell became.
“his four-day-old smile dawned on him”
The word choice of ‘dawned’ conveys how the smile lights up his face and links to the morning sun and the idea of new beginnings.
“I pitched back not my old hard-pressed grin but his own smile, or one I’d rediscovered”
Paterson’s usual forced and difficult smile has been replaced with him reflecting Russell’s innocent, joyful smile.
The word choice of ‘pitched’ suggests the strength of his response.
Expectation is reversed, as usually babies emulate the adult’s behaviour, but the father is instinctively copying the child and in doing so he taps into the innocence and delight of youth which had been previously lost to him.
The word choice of ‘rediscover’ suggests that the joy is not wholly new, but had been lost to him but Russell’s smile allows him to rediscover his own innate happiness.
