War Photographer

Question 1

Dark room

Answer 1

Place of tranquility and peace. Safe from the dangers of the other half of his work

Question 2

Alone

Answer 2

Photographer is an outsider, he floats between both worlds

Question 3

Spools of suffering

Answer 3

Harsh ‘s’ reminds us of the harsh world he works in. Personification, the spools aren’t suffering but the images that they hold are of suffering, idea that the spools being the suffering to life once developed

Question 4

Ordered rows

Answer 4

Photographer is trying to make sense of things. Spools are compared to soldiers - dead or alive - as they are set out in ordered rows. Idea of mass graves

Question 5

Light is red

Answer 5

Idea that the room is lit like a church (sanctuary lamp). Connotations of blood

Question 6

Softly glows

Answer 6

Tranquility and peace - not a harsh light

Question 7

Church

Answer 7

Poet compares the environment of the dark room to the inside of a church - suggests that it’s an important place or a place of quiet where you reflect

Question 8

Priest

Answer 8

Idea of a priest saying a mass in a changing/preaching tone for effect and praise. In the similar way a priest prepares for a funeral mass by remembering the dead so too does the photographer remember those who died in his photographs

Question 9

Mass

Answer 9

Emphasises how important his job is. His job provides a service to society. Process of developing these images is compared to a religious ceremony. Despite war being a contradiction to the teachings of the church

Question 10

Belfast, Beirut, Phnom Penh

Answer 10

Shows extent of unrest in the world. Alliteration - idea of camera winding on and images go past as he remembers them

Question 11

All flesh is grass

Answer 11

Metaphor from Old Testament. Life is short and even shorter in war zones he visits

Question 12

He has a job to do

Answer 12

Short sentence structure - he is professional. Puts his feeling aside to take a good photograph. Breaks the calm of the dark room

Question 13

Solutions slop in trays

Answer 13

Sound of the work makes us feel like we are there. Literal developing in the tray suggests idea of solving the political problems which cause war. Solutions which he doesn’t have of course

Question 14

Hands which did not tremble then though seem to now

Answer 14

Contrast between the calmness when taking the photo to his panic state when developing them

Question 15

Rural England

Answer 15

Now working in a familiar part of the world. Idyllic setting. Idea that England is peaceful with beautiful countryside and is pure. Comparison with chaos of war.

Question 16

Ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel

Answer 16

Struggling to adapt back to normal life after witnessing such horror. Our problems are little in comparison. Can be improved be good weather.

Question 17

Explode

Answer 17

Contrasts with the quiet and solitude of dark room and tranquility of England

Question 18

Running children in a nightmare heat

Answer 18

Emotive shocking image. Innocent always suffer more. Children’s feet instead of soldiers making it more effective as children are more vulnerable. Emphasises the danger of the places he’s visited. Young and innocent are unsafe

Question 19

Something is happening

Answer 19

Injects suspense. The image is gradually appearing as the photo develops. Created tension and anticipation due to short sentence

Question 20

Ghost

Answer 20

Ambiguous. Suggests the faint image emerging and that the man in the photo is dead.

Question 21

He remembers the cries

Answer 21

Incident haunts him. Recalls the reaction of the wife seeing her husband die. Shocking and highlights the consequences of war. Reliving the traumatising memories. Shows effects of war on the dead and living.

Question 22

How he sought approval without words

Answer 22

Remembers taking picture without asking. Morally questionable? Necessary to spread the awareness

Question 23

Stained

Answer 23

Blood leaves mark on ground when dried. Eternal mark on memory of photographer. Never forget the image of the dead. Ingrained in his mind.

Question 24

Foreign dust

Answer 24

Emphasises troubles happening elsewhere. We will forget troubles because they aren’t ours. Blood is cheap in these places and is spiller often.

Question 25

Agonies

Answer 25

Demonstrates the effects of war on people’s lives. Shows the suffering and pain caused by violence.

Question 26

Black and white

Answer 26

Ambiguous. Could refer to the black and white images just developed. Could refer to black and white as a symbol for good and evil. Seems to be suggesting the importance of telling the truth in black and white

Question 27

Sunday’s supplement

Answer 27

Suggests that the pictures are viewed as secondary importance and aren’t significant enough to make main headlines. Not interesting enough to the reader

Question 28

Between the bath and pre lunch beers

Answer 28

Cynical tone. Suggesting that although the images may evoke some sympathy it is short lived. Suggests the selfishness and the absorption of society as these people’s suffering is not as important as their pre lunch beers.

Question 29

He earns his living and they do not care

Answer 29

Sense of pointlessness as the photographer leaves on another assignment knowing well people don’t care about his images. Feeling of sympathy and admiration for the photographer as he continues to share the suffering despite the lack of compassion of society