War Photographer - Duffy

Question 1

“In his darkroom he is finally alone”

Answer 1

~ ‘finally’ – suggest he is glad of isolation

~ ‘Alone’ – inversion emphasises alone – possibly an outsider?

Question 2

“Set out in ordered rows”

Answer 2

~ contrasts with chaos of war – tries to make sense of what he sees.
~ Image of Coffins? Armies?

Question 3

“only light is red and softly glows”

Answer 3

~Reminds us of altar lantern used during mass.
~ red connotates blood /danger /anger
~ creates atmosphere of calm (contrasts war)

Question 4

“As though this were a church and he a priest.”

Answer 4

~ Simile comparing photographer to priest

Question 5

“preparing to intone a mass”

Answer 5

~ Connotates lack of emotion.

~ mass for dead?

Question 6

“Belfast. Beirut. Phnom Penh.”

Answer 6

~ List of places affected by conflict – like a rollcall – blunt.
~ short words sound like gunfire.

Question 7

“he has a job to do”

Answer 7

~ plant short sentence conveys blunted emotions necessary to keep doing the job.
~ Perhaps excuse?

Question 8

“Solutions slop in trays.”

Answer 8

~ double meaning.
~ Words choice: messy contrasts with order.
~ Suggest solutions to problems aren’t simple

Question 9

“Hands which did not tremble then though seem to now.”

Answer 9

~ contrast: past/present.

~ makes reader consider why his hands only tremble now.

Question 10

“Rural England.”

Answer 10

~ links back to other list of names.

~ contrasts with countries of war.

Question 11

“Home again to ordinary pain which simple weather can dispel.”

Answer 11

~ words emphasise how calm and normal Homelife is.
~ contrast with horrific conditions abroad.
~ oxymoron - ordinary pain

Question 12

“something is happening”

Answer 12

~ short simple sentence.

~ enigmatic.

Question 13

“faintly start to twist before his eyes”

Answer 13

~ literally describes faint revelation of picture

~ ‘Twist’ – connotations of pain, discomfort or face of someone experiencing this.

Question 14

“a half formed ghost”

Answer 14

~ metaphor: subject of photo maybe dead. ~ idea of photographer being haunted by his photo

Question 15

“he remembers the cries”

Answer 15

~ sense of sound

~ picture holds vivid associations for photographer

Question 16

“do you what someone must”

Answer 16

~ justification that someone has to do it

Question 17

“How the blood stained into foreign dust”

Answer 17

~ sense of colour

~ contrasts with the red of developing room

Question 18

“A hundred agonies in black and white”

Answer 18

~ metaphor - photos are physical manifestations of human suffering.
~ literally monochrome pictures - agony is blunt and clear to see

Question 19

“from which is editor will pick out five or six for Sundays supplement”

Answer 19

~ relaxed attitude contrasts with photographers anguish

~ ‘Sunday supplement’ - extra bit, not nig news, no one cares that much.

Question 20

“The readers eyes prick with tears”

Answer 20

~ suggests almost cry which emphasises the shallowness of response.

Question 21

“between the bath and prelunch beers”

Answer 21

~ leisurely activities contrast with horrific events abroad.

~ reader only upset for a short time.

Question 22

“he stares impassively at where he earns a living”

Answer 22

~ emotionless

~just a job?

Question 23

“and they do not care”

Answer 23

~ emphasises the selfishness of Brits.