Work for today, 28/11/2007

1. Re-read the text New Crack City, by Will Self.
2. Using the 'Tutor Notes' handout, analyse each pageof the text using the techniques in the 'Higher' & 'Int 2'columns, for example:

Structure
Plot
Theme
Setting
Dialogue
Key incident(s)
Narrative stance
Narrative voice
Conflict
Ideas*
Evidence*
Selection of information*
Choice of detail*
Anecdote*
Organisation*
Examples*
Description*
Language*Style*

=======================================================
Things to think about:

1. Why is he writing this?
2. How much is bourne from experience?
3. What is significant about his references toWilliam Burroughs and (Raymond) Chandler?
4. Think about Self's style...
5. Contrasts?
6. Themes?
=======================================================

Homework to be completed for 3rd December 2007

Section B - Prose

Choose a short story in which the main character faces a dilemma. Outline briefly what the dilemma is and go on to discuss how the character's reaction to it gives you a deeper understanding of the text as a whole.In your answer you must refer to the text and to at least two of: theme, structure, setting, characteristion, or any other appropriate feature.

Misery pages 58 & 59

P – Iona is seen as beneath all of the other people in the city.
C - While driving the officer to Vyborgskaya Iona is constantly insulted by unknown persons
Q - “A coachman driving a carriage swears at him;”
E – This shows that the society in which Iona lives has grown cold, they no longer care about other people. Iona is viewed as the lowest standard of person, unimportant and instantly forgettable.

P – Iona is desperate for some form of compassion, to talk to another human and unload the emotions that have been crushing down upon him since his son died.
C – While driving the officer Iona attempts to talk to the officer about his son:
Q – “My son. . . . er . . . my son died this week, sir.”
E – While Iona is desperate for compassion he is reluctant to approach the officer, as he knows that the society has long grown cold.

P – The officer is used to illustrate the cold heartedness of the society,
C - When Iona approaches him about his son’s death he bluntly replies
Q – “H’m! What did he die of?”
E – The officer replies illustrates that he like the rest of the society do not care, his reply is cold and insensitive like the society itself.

Chekhov’s frequent use of ellipses reinforce the idea that of the pain and misery that Iona towards the death of his son. This can notably be seen throughout the story but in particularly
“He lay three days in hospital and then he died…”
The use of ellipsis at the end of this sentence shows that Iona’s grief is too vast for him to go on and explain more to his passenger about his son.

Iona is showing to blend in to the background
“Snow plastered eyelashes”
This give the reader a pleasant image but also shows that Iona is wrapped in his grief that much he does not have the energy to move the snow off himself. This also portrays that the environment has started to engulf him; this tells the reader that Iona is insignificant to the environment and the people around him that pay him no attention

Page244 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Gillian's group.

Page243 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Annie's group.

Page242 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Kirsty's group.

Page241 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Stuart's group.

Page240 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Zoe's group

Page239 of by the burn, by James Kelman

Caitlin's group.

Misery page 64-65

P- Iona gives the impression he is soon going to die.
C- Page 64
Q- “There is always enough time to sleep….
You’ll have sleep enough, no fear…”
E- Here
Iona gives the impression he is near death and what’s more this doesn’t
seem to phase him.

P- Elipses are used through narrative, speech and mind.
C- Throughout poem
Q- “sighs and scratches himself….”
E-They are used to represent pauses in time when no thought is occurring. This is effective as it causes the reader to stop and think about what has been said.


P- Ionas longing to talk to someone about his sons death becomes apparent.
C-Line four Page 64
Q- “Just as the young man had been thirsty for water, he thirsts for speech”
E-Just as it is a necessity for life to drink, Iona feels it is a necessity for him to talk about his son.

P- Iona feels when he is by himself he cannot think about his sons death.
C- Page 64
Q- “He thinks about oats, about hay, about the weather….”
E-Here it is shown that Iona when by himself cannot think about his son, so he distracts himself with everything else. This invokes great sorrow in the reader and causes a strong emotional response.

P- Iona tells his horse about the loss of his son,
C- Page 65
Q-’the little mare munches, listens and breathes on her masters hands, Iona is carried away and tells her all about it.’
E- Iona seems to confide in his horse, as he could think that he is the only one that he can talk to who will listen to what he has to say, and cant interrupt him. Also he might feel that the mare has been there through everything with him, and is the only one that remains by his side.

Misery page 62-63

P- Chekhov portrays a very pesimistic feeling for Iona
C- Pg 62
Q- “…only wife for me now is the damp earth”
E- Iona has know positive feelings for the rest of his life, no drive to get him anywhere. Through the writers use of description the reader demonstrates a sense of sorrow towards Iona. Iona only wishes to reach the end of his life because he feels like he has failed his honour of his family, because he couldn’t provide the right essentials for his family to survive.
Q- “found a hiding place…insignificant shell…candle by day light.”
E- The theme of pessimism is further shown by this quote. It is talking about Iona’s inner feelings rather than him physically wanting to find a hiding. When talking about the candle, it is meaning that even in the bright sunlight, surrounded by loads of people he still feels insignificant and small. But in his own world he feels like he is the root of all the problems he can see and he just wants to hide from them.


P- Although Ionas pain has always been there, he only just begins to experience the true power of his emotions and lets himself be overcome by them.
C- Pg 62
Q- “…misery…brief space eased…back again…tears his heart…cruelly…”
E- This quote shows Iona having a sudden realisation of his predicament which he has found himself in. Even though the people he has been escorting around have been cruel with their conversations and words, he has still been compliant with the conversations because they temporarily take him away from the grief of his current situation.

Misery page 60-61

C - While the hunchbacked passenger is talking to Iona, Iona describes how he sounds:
Q - “cracked voice”
E - The writer’s use of repetition and a metaphor about the hunchbacked man show he sounds just as he looks

Line 12-13 on page 60 – “long altercation, ill-temper, and abuse” – negativity
Line 17 on page 60 – “What a cap you’ve got, my friend!” – sarcasm and abuse.
Last line on page 60 – “Me-er-ry gentlemen!”- Attempt at conversation.
Line 2 top of page 61 – “you old plague” – response to Iona’s attempt at conversation, being mocked by the hunchback like.
Line 6 on page 61 – “jolting person and quivering voice” – contrast of the “jolting person” and the “quivering voice”.
Line 9 on page 61 – “little by little to be less heavy on his heart.”
Throughout page 61 Iona is grateful for any conversation even if it is abuse addressed towards him. “ the feeling of loneliness begins little by little to be less heavy on his heart”
Line 11 on page 61 – “elaborately whimsical string of epithets” the hunchback is making himself feel better by belittling Iona.
Chekhov uses ellipsis to dhow how Iona is stuttering – “This week …er …my…er…son died!”
The hunchback then shown no sympathy for Iona – “We shall all die …” – This shows that the hunchback is telling Iona that death is inevitable

Misery page 57

Tess & Cairn

P- the poem starts with a epigraph, then a minor sentence.
C- The opening two sentences of the short story
Q- “ To whom shall I tell my grief?” and “The twilight of evening.”
E- the no verb sentence means that it stands out. The word “twilight” also is a connotation to the age of Iona and referring to the near death of him.

P- the physical effect and the near death of Iona’s body and soul.
C- First paragraph.
Q- “white like a ghost.”
E- this sentence is a simile. It shows/ gives the feeling of his soul being lost and Iona’s body and mind being nearly dead.
Q- “bent as double as the living body can be bent.”
E- By using the “living body” as the contrast he is showing the extent of his depression.

P- Punctuation throughout the short story.
C- halfway through paragraph one at the beginning of the story and throughout the story.
Q- “…His little mare”
E- The ellipsis throughout the story shows effectively the pauses and slow movements of Iona and his horse.

P- blending into the snow/ disappearing out of sight.
C- line 10 in paragraph one.
Q- “white and motionless too.”
E- As well as their surroundings, the horse and Iona are motionless and covered in snow. Not caring that they are blending into the wilderness, gives the reader an insight of Iona’s mind and how he does not care.

P- the fake ness look of the horse
C- paragraph 1
Q- “Like a half penny ginger bread horse”
E-Even though this is a friendly term it alos gives the impression of the horse being frail and not real it is also a connotation between the horse and Iona.