Aug 13 2007
Sky High
INCLUDE QUOTATIONS IN YOUR WRITTEN RESPONSE THAT EXAMINE CHANGE.What is being said?
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is is being said?
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
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Sky High
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The two worlds are the past and present and how we see things differently depending on age. The clothesline represents the escape from the normal mundane ground. It gives the girl a sense of adventure a sense of accomplishment and a sense of being free. It outs her above everything else. When she is an adult she sees it simply as a clothes line and can only appreciate what it could once do for her.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
The child is free and happy a sees the clothes line as something special and different an escape route. The adult has a more mundane out look on the clothesline she still sees what it was once to her but know accepts that it is jut an old metal clothes line.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
Concept of change is being represented with how we see things differently through time. As we grow older we don’t see certain things as we used to. We don’t see how magical playing in the sandpit could be or playing tip. Instead we see other things of importance
How is this being said?
Through how a girl used to see and appreciate something and how it is now seen as an adult. The adult can still see how the clothesline was once a tool for fun, but can now appreciate other things.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
The use of colloquial language gives the reader a more sense of belonging to the text. It is though the reader is the one that is being talked to. It has been used because the writer is telling a story and is trying to convey a story to the audience.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The language represents the concept of change by changing as the story changes from discussing the girl’s aspect to the woman’s. the woman would use a different type of language to the girl.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The readers attention is always engaged because of the descriptive language in the text. It describes every detail of the story that is being conveyed and in lead up to the description of the climbing of the clohesline.
1. The two worlds being depicted are the world when the girl was young and when she was old. In the young world the washing line has “silver skeletal arms” and then in the old world the washing line now has “spotted metallic arms”. These show has time has changed the clothes line.
2. The child sees the washing line as something to “conquer”, something that is for her enjoyment and that gives her something special. While the adult sees it as a life gone by, freedom lost and a time of great fun that has left her with the coming of adulthood.
3. The concept of change is being represented through the time and its effects on people and their environment. It is saying that as time goes on it is impossible for things not to change. Even for things that seem so big and strong in the younger days “ the clothes line”, will be changed because of time.
4. The colloquial language has been used so as everyone can grasp the base themes without the use of big complicated words. As the story is about normal circumstances that will happen to everybody and so there is no need for complicated words to give the message. Also as the writer is just an everyday person who is trying to explain an everyday event, I doubt she will have seen the need for un-colloquial language.
5. “Silver skeletal arms” this shows how that the washing line is young and time has not yet weathered it but then when it says “Age warped line” it is saying that time has taken its affect on the line. Also with the theme of time changing there is the girl. To do this it says “Smooth, sweat damp hands” once again showing youth and how time has not yet affected them, but then it says “My hands, accumulate the line etched story of life”. This shows how both the line and girl have been affected by time together and have both changed.
The writer engages the audience by opening with a sentence that makes the reader wonder what is happening in it. This makes the reader want to read on so as to discover what the writer is talking about. To hold the attention of the reader the writer switches time periods half way through as well as describing the surrounding are in a way that doesn’t bore but still has detail.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
∑ The two worlds being depicted are the world of the past, the little girl, and the world of the present, the girl as an adult.
∑ The world of the past is a world of endless pleasure in the little things. Where the girl can climb up a tree and onto the clothes line where she can then be free and the sky is the limit.
∑ The world of the older woman is one of fond remembrance where she can still feel the spark that gave light to so many adventures but she cannot because of the effect old age is having on her. This gives the present world an air of sadness and regret for what has been lost.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
∑ The emotions of the child are carefree and unconcerned with the world because to her all the things that will ever affect are in the .unkempt backyard’.
∑ The emotions of the adult are ore down to earth she can still feel and appreciates what she once felt but the magic of the garden is now gone.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
∑ It is being presented through the way that the author contrasts the feelings of the child with those of the adult and how they are different. How as we grow up our perspective of things change and we don’t see them the same.
How is it being said?
∑ How the adult sees the clothes line as just a clothes line whereas the child use to see it as an escape route from reality into her own world. The line ‘it is unlikely the washing line could support me’ is symbolic of how the world of the child is now unreachable to the adult.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
The use colloquial language help to make the reader feel more involved in the text, like the author is speaking to you. This is a good technique because it engages the reader and keeps them captivated.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The language changes as the passage changes from the girl to the woman, this helps to reinforce the concept of change. The tempo of the poem also changes from the girl to the woman.
3. How does the writer engage the reader’s attention and hold it throughout?
The reader’ attention is engaged through the emotive language and the vivid imagery. The emotive language makes the reader feel what the author is feeling and the vivid imagery just helps to create the emotive feelings through the images created.
1) The two worlds that are being represented are that of when she was a young child and the other being when she has returned to her old backyard later in life. The features of her childhood are the memories she has of her old backyard. For example “the best climbing tree in the backyard stood proud on a small mound of concrete”. The qualities of her backyard now is that although some parts may have changed she can ‘still pull herself up to her perch’ and reminisce of her old backyard. This can also be seen as a feature of her world now.
2) The child seems to enjoy all the good things of the backyard whilst the adult seems to want to be able to once again do this but can’t. The child is content with herself and enjoys the qualities of her backyard and the adult can only reminisce.
3) The change that I is being represented in this poem is the physical change that comes with ageing. Also the visual change of the backyard from when she was a child and now when she is an adult. The change of her age is being represented through the way she has aged. “The inclination is still there, a small pilot light burning somewhere inside, but it is unlikely the washing line could support me this time.”
4) The colloquial language that has been used in this text is used to engage and relate with the reader. For example, “I can see the almond tree in its shady corner next to the incinerator and our attempted vegie patch;” The ‘vegie patch’ which has obviously failed is what most Australians know as a vegetable garden, a patch where veggies grow.
5) “Other details come back, piece by piece, slowly filling in the gaps.” “It’s an older, more age-warped washing line I reach up to now” The first example shows how the author is trying to recall her fond memories of her old backyard. The second example explains how she can’t do the things she used to because of her natural ageing and the physical change of the backyard.
6) The author uses colloquial language which most people can easily relate to and understand. She also describes her backyard in the past and now by using figurative and descriptive language. These two features can easily help the reader to relate to the text and therefore keeping them very engaged with the text.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The worlds that are being depicted are the young girl then the old woman, when the girl is young she loves the adventure of the garden and the especially the clothes line. But now the woman is old she only hangs clothes on line, but she still remembers how free and young she felt when she used to soar on the clothes line, but now she would probably brake the clothes line if she tried to climb it.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
The child see the clothes line as an adventure, as something to conquer and to have fun. She loves the freedom of the clothes line and the sense of achievement that she gets from climbing the silver giant. The old woman sees the clothes line as a sign of age, it represents her life. When she was young it was so fun to climb on the clothesline now it is mundane and monotonous and a task rather than an adventure as it used to be.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
The concept of change is being representing is that change is not always for the best, as she reminisces about day gone by she is overwhelmed by the simplicity of her life when she was a child, her biggest challenge was to climb the clothes. Now she is trapped in a mundane and monotonous world, and even if she wants to climb the clothes line it would probably break.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
The colloquial language is a technique used to give the reader a real life grasp on the situation as such. It places the reader in a comfort zone because the language is not full of depictive words that only intellectual can truly understand. The colloquial language, because everyone can understand it means that the same thing will happen to everyone as what has happened to her.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The central theme of change is different between the two people in the story the woman and the young girl. It helps the reader understand witch person is witch.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The author engages our attention throughout the text by using reality as a central theme. The text is so true and pure it gives a scary thought of change witch is ultimately true for everyone. The realistic ness of text engages all of us to read the text and truly relate
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The two worlds that are being illustrated are the past and the present. This can then lead on to how age determines how we interpret different things. The clothesline is representing the escape from on world to another, its gives a sense of freedom and accomplishment.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
As a child sees the clothesline as a mission or something to accomplish, whereas an adult will see it as a symbol of freedom and enjoyment past by with the change of age.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is is being said?
The concept of change is being represented by time and the effects that time has on people and everything around them. No matter the foundations solid things can crumble, and this is obvious with the clothesline. Once seen as a strong structure then becomes weaker as time goes on.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
Colloquial language gives the reader a sense of belonging and draws the reader in as they feel the text relates to them more. The use of this colloquial language has been made as the writer is attempting to communicate her story to the audience and if the audience feels like the text relates to them then the communicating of the story will be stronger.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The readers attention is engaged throughout the text through the effective use of language, especially descriptive and colloquial language. It describes the story is a way that makes the reader feel at home with the text and therefore engages the audience with a strong grasp.
INCLUDE QUOTATIONS IN YOUR WRITTEN RESPONSE THAT EXAMINE CHANGE.What is being said?
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is is being said?
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The two words that are being depicted in this passage are past and present. These two words are prominent throughout the text and they have the ability to illustrate change in a strong and meaningful way. The poem uses the word past in a strong sense as this illustrates the feeling and the interpretations that a young girl felt and interpreted in relation to her back yard. I believe the backyard is a metaphor for society. The concept of change then evolves when they bring the term present into the poem. How all of a sudden the concept that this young girl has grown up and things aren’t the same anymore. In relation society has changed and we have to live with it. The use of colloquial language is used throughout the text as a tool for engaging the reader and makes the reader or interpreter feel apart of the text to capture the full concentration of the audience. The concept of chance is represented by using the age of the girl growing up and becoming older and more mature. The way she interprets the clothe line for example when she was young it was seen to be a shinny silver metropolis but when she grows up its just a mundane clothes line. The writer engages the reader by using real life examples and the use of colloquial language helps the reader stay intrigued with the poem.
The worlds that are depicted are not the past and the present but the worlds of the adult and the child. The difference is explained by the way each perceive their world around them and the text presents the point of view that this change has been negative, the writer reminisces about her childhood days and looks upon them with melancholy. In this way the text shows that the author values the childhood notions of freedom and adventure and mourns their disppearance.
The emotional state of the two subjects in the poem differs fundamentally. The world of the child is filled with imaginative metaphors and similes and these do not disappear in the adult world but become sad and mundane.
The concept of change is being represented by the change of perception in the characters in each of the ‘worlds’. The child sees the world that she is involved in as wonderful and enjoyable, as the child gets older the perception of what is enjoyable changes and becomes more grown up and essentially opposes the perception of the child.
The manipulation and especially the emotive language in this text are used to great extent to create mood and meaning in the text, it is used to involve the reader in the worlds of firstly the child and then the adult and to help us empathise with the character.
The complex word choice that is evident in this text is rich and exuberant examples of this include “silver skeletal arms” and “i now write my own semaphore secrets”. This language serves to create either a positive or negative undertone to the text.
The writer engages the readers attention by using these exuberant words and holds it with her narrative and her poetic devices.
INCLUDE QUOTATIONS IN YOUR WRITTEN RESPONSE THAT EXAMINE CHANGE.What is being said?
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The two worlds being depicted in this text is the past and the present. The past is represented by the new clothesline with its “silver arms” and the present is then depicted by the old clothesline with “sagging wires” and “spotted metallic arms”
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
To the small girl the clothesline is an adventure and it is her own place witch makes her higher then anyone else in the world. In her world she can see everything and she can fly. To the old woman the clothesline is an object that gave her amusement as a child. She only has a small connection to it in her old age and even if she could swing on it wont give her the satisfaction that it once gave her
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is is being said?
The concept of change is represented using symbolism. The yard, and especially the clothesline, when she is a small child is new and attended to. It thrives compared to the garden that she returns to in her old age. The clothesline is rusted and reminiscent of her childhood which is long gone
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
The use of colloquial language engages the reader more. It seems as if the author is directly speaking to a particular audience member and it also provides a sense of relaxation in the text.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The clothesline, which is one of the main representations of change, begins the text with “silver skeletal arms” and by the last stanza it has “spotted metallic arms.” The young girl has “Smooth, sweat damped hands” and the old woman has “line etched story of life in scars and wrinkles.”
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The reader’s attention is held by the amazing descriptive language which carefully describes every detail of the young girl’s life and garden.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The first world is the world of a child who sees a carefree, simpler world full of adventure “The ultimate conquest of the washing line” whereas the second world is one of an adult who sees the frailty of the world and her shortcomings, “it could not support me again. There are too many things tying me to the ground”
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
In the child’s world the child judges the rest of the world and no one can judge her “Only vegetables, that’s all they eat, I think” Whereas in the adults world the character is very self critical.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is being said?
The two worlds are juxtaposed next to each other emphasizing the change that has occurred in the time between the two worlds.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
Some colloquial language e.g. knickers are used only in the child’s world to add a sense of belonging to the space the story is written and in the adult world the character almost seems to be a visitor in the place that once seemed home
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
“beginning to accumulate the line-etched story of life in scars and wrinkles” this quote emphasizes the physical change that has occurred in her own body since the care free days spent on the cloths line she was staring at.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
Descriptive language and skilful use of writing techniques linked with the use of a well-versed vocabulary engage the audience until the resolution.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The two worlds represent how our perspectives change as our age does. The clothesline symbolizes an escape from the ordinary and dull ground. The girl sees the clothesline as an adventure with “skeletal arms” and a place to escape the world but when she grows old, she simply sees the clothesline for what it is and can only reminisce how much fun she once had with it.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
The child’s perception in comparison with the adult’s says that when she was young, she witnessed the clothesline as something to have fun with and to “conquer” however the adult sees the clothesline as fun times lost and all is left are good memories.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
The concept of change is being represented through this text in the form of time. It simply tells the reader, what we see as enjoyable as a kid can become mundane and boring as our lifetime progresses.
How is this being said?
The concept of change was being told through a girl who once saw a clothesline with “silver skeletal arms” in comparison to the older girl who saw the clothesline to have “spotted metallic arms”.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
The colloquial language has been used so as everyone can grasp the base themes without the use of big complex words. As the story is about a normal situation that would happen to everybody and so there is no need for complicated words to give the message. Also as the writer is just an everyday person who is trying to explain an everyday event, I doubt she will have seen the need for complex words or un-colloquial language.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The child would use more simply words than the grown up women. Compared to the colloquial language written by the younger girl the women uses much stronger yet herder words such as, “Impulsively I close my hand around one of the spotted metallic arms”.
3. How does the writer engage the reader’s attention and hold it throughout?
The writer begins the poem with a line, which engages the audience to find out what comes next. The writer uses very descriptive text and describes in much detail the story.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both. Both one young girl’s childhood and herself later on in life are depicted. As seen in the quote “almost sky-high, feeling as
frilly and nearly as pink as the bathers I am wearing” the little girl’s values involve dreams of flying and fantasy. However when she grows older, she finds herself weighed down by pressures of adulthood restricting her from following her dreams. This is closely shown in the quote: “ There are too many things tying me to the ground”.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult? The child finds herself happily aspiring to new or farfetched dreams, being totally sheltered by the innocence of childhood. On the other hand the older lady finds herself regretting growing up because she is restricted from following dreams as she is not protected by being young.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is it being said? The concept of change is being represented by having the same person as a young girl and an adult while contrasting them to create the feeling of emotive and physical change.
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used. The colloquial language has been used in such a way to make the comments seem sophisticated rather than dumb. It has been used in my opinion to make the text seem Australian and to the knowledge of words known by the average Australian lady or child.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change. The child’s voice contrasting with the adult’s voice also contributes to the sense of physical and mental change. The first of the following quotes show the childs voice and the second is an example of an adult’s voice. “But the best climbing tree” and “line-etched story of life in scars and wrinkles”.
3. How does the writer engage the reader’s attention and hold it throughout? The writer engages us and keeps us reading by allowing us to relate to the event that takes place because we all grow up and change in similar ways.
• What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
The two worlds being depicted are the old, which was a simplier life where she used to play in the background. The present world it that of adult life. Life has changed so much that Hannah feels regret as she tries to capture the feelings and freedom of her youth.
The qualities of the past wonderland, where freedom and simple pleasures. Imagery, personification, descriptive language is used to describes how the back yard used to be, with trees and bushes and a strong silver clothes line.
The new however is described as bare and the clothesline is sun warmed. This could is a metaphors as she also feels she is bare and sun warmed as she tries to recapture attitudes of past.
• What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
The child has nothing holding her back, she is free to do what she likes, she is sky high. feeling as frilly and nearly as pink as the bathers I am wearing.
The emotional state of present day feels of if she is tried down and has many things to worry about.There are too many things tying me to the ground. She wishes to relive the life of her younth.
• In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
How is it being said?
The concept of change is the shift from past to present. In this text as the backyard and the central character that changes dramatically over time. In both character and the backyard the past is better. The character also describes the ways she has changed. It uses imagery to describe the backyard and the differece over time. Metaphors are used to show a connection between the backuyard and the central character.
Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
Colloquial language is used to set a relaxed tone of the text. Such as
Their garden doesn,t have any lawn or flowers, only vegetables. That,s all they eat, I think.
• Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
The descriptive, figurative language creates a richly described environment, of the backyard. But the best climbing tree in the backyard stood proud
This quote shows the simple language used as she describes the past. Rich vocabulary evokes time and place as she describes in detail the backyard and the feeling and attitudes of her childhood.
• How does the writer engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
Emotive, descriptive language, metaphors and also personification is used to engage the reader. The jump is time frame keeps the reader engage as the changes are described in detail with rich words.
1. the two worlds are the young world and the old world. These are in conflict, because the writer still lives in part in the young world but is grown up. She wants nothing more than to be young again.
the qualities of the young world are surreal, bright, carefree and happy. in the old world the writer has “too many things tying (her) to the ground” to be able to fly.
2. the child’s world reflects her own qualities. When she was young her family still lived around her and her world was carefree and happy because she was not really part of the real world., but as she grew the real world took over, and now even though she wants to jump back on the clothesline and go flying around it, she can’t. The real world won’t allow it.
3. The concept of change is represented by the difference between two moments which are years apart. The poem does not outline the process of the change, but it is clear that the character’s perspective has changed significantly over time.
4. The colloquial language has been used to emphasize the innocence of the child.
5. this extremely effective use of vocabulary illuminates the themes of the text and nature of the change with absolute clarity and complete detail. The contrast between the words of the child’s voice and the adult’s choice of words sets the idea of change, and the change of ideas, perfectly.
6.The writer encapsulates the attention of the reader with imagery, running so deep into the poem that a suitable quote is hard to find. “But the best climbing tree in the backyard stood proud on a small mound of concrete, a basket of faded clothes pegs adorning its trunk and generally festooned with socks and knickers and shirts like coloured flags in a secret code.”
Also used is the metaphors revolving around the clothesline (see above), which tie the poem together.
Hannah Roberts is using this text to reflect on how she is no longer the carefree child she used to be. She can’t just go and swing on the old clothesline like she used to, she has too many worries to do that now.
Two worlds, the past, and the present are depicted. In one, it is entirely innocent and careless, where all that matters is fun. “I bask in the sun in my exalted position,” illustrates the carelessness of this world. The other is one where there are too many worries to take part in such meaningless activities as swinging off the clothesline, it as one purpose now, to hang clothes. While there would still be mild enjoyment to gain, she has outgrown it, and feels beyond her age, “My hands, beginning to accumulate the line-etched story of life in scars and wrinkles.”
The child is far different from the adult, there are no worries to keep her on the ground, no responsibility, only adventure, after all she can fly.
The concept of change is being represented by growing up, changing into an entirely different person. No longer does she think like a child. She has far more important things to do, she has responsibilities and expectations to live up to. It is being represented by the young, lighthearted child changing into the wrinkled, scarred woman coming back to that same place, revisiting a wonderland that is now lost.
Colloquial language has been mixed in with skillful imagery to made the reader identify with the text and the feelings it evokes, at the same time as making it readable for anyone. She succeeds in creating a text that most people can relate to, while being able to easily read it.
“The best climbing tree in the backyard stood proud” demonstrates her first priority as a child, to climb the tree, while “but it is unlikely the washing line could support me this time. There are too many things tying me to the ground” shows how different she is now.
“My hands, beginning to accumulate the line-etched story of life in scars
and wrinkles,” in conjunction with a time shift from her past fantasies, symbolises how the change she has experienced transformed her into a different person, it has changed her attitudes and personality.
“Where I was once the curious onlooker, I now write my own semaphore secrets in colourful shirts and mismatched socks” demonstates how she has grown to fill the stern shoes that were once held by her mother, where your actions have an affect on those around you.
The composer holds the audience’s attention by using vibrant imagery and emotive language while revisiting a part of her own life that everyone can empathize with. The one part that did not hold my attention was where she goes off on a tangent about the religious family next door. Living several kilometers from the nearest house means this has zero content I can identify with, so two paragraphs are lost on me.
The narrator is reminiscing her childhood in her backyard, portraying both the past and present. The main part of the story is a flashback to the youth of the character, with the lady adding her extra experience to the memory. The time shift to the past creates a whole different world, seen through the eyes of the narrator, which is explored using a colloquial description of the environment. This differs from the stark reality of the present, that she is now to old to do these things.
The lady is resentful of the fact that she grew up and out of her youth. She yearns to swing on the clothesline, but realises that there are “too many things tying her to the ground”. The child differs from the adult in that she is not restricted by age. She is free to swing off clotheslines, look at rocks or whatever she wishes. She is happy. The adult, on the other hand, knows she cannot do these things anymore.
Change is an obvious theme in this story, in that it shows the past through the eyes of the present, the same environment, seen with more wisdom and knowledge. It has been represented through the disappointment of the current character.
Colloquial language has been used in the text in order to accentuate the difference between the past and the present in the text. It shows her youth, compared with her current knowledge and restrictions.
“Three little boys live there ; I have stood on the fence and talked to them, even been in their house once.”
“Next to the house, Dad is building a bungalow. It is for my Opa who has come to live with us”
“The inclination is still there, a small pilot light burning somewhere inside,”
These examples show how the composer has included both colloquial and sophisticated language in the text. Through the use of simple words, the memory of youthful character is expressed more clearly, when it contrasts with the complex language used by the present character. This contrast helps to show the physical effects of change. The change in age, bestows wisdom, yet takes away the physical benefits of youth.
The composer has managed to hold the reader’s attention right through the story, using the contrast between the past and present. The highly metaphorical language used in the present gives an interesting perspective on the past experiences of the character.
1. What two worlds are being depicted? By close reference to the passage, define the qualities and features of both.
This is showing how times change and how growing up affects our perspectives and opinions. Now that she has grown up she sees the clothesline as nothing other then a clothesline but as a child seeing it as something to escape everyday life, something different and something that flees her from mundane living.
2. What is the emotional state of the central figures in both worlds? How does the child differ from the adult?
The child sees the clothesline as something special and really appreciates all the things that the backyard has to offer. The adult has a much more dull view of the clothesline but still acknowledges what this used to mean to her.
3. In what ways is the concept of change being represented?
This is representing a change of perspective. It is showing the effect that time can have on one’s outlook of an object and saying that growing up is not necessarily a good thing.
How is being said?
1. Skilful manipulation of language is a core feature of this text. Comment on the use of colloquial language and why it has been used.
This use of language is adding emotion to the text and also giving the reader more of a chance to relate to it as it is a more relaxed style.
2. Word choice is both simple and complex. Vibrant, rich vocabulary evokes a real sense of time and place. Find effective examples from the text and evaluate how they help to reinforce the central theme of change.
3. How does the write engage the readers attention and hold it throughout?
The writer uses quite a lot of imagery creating curiosity. This is achieved through the extensive descriptive language and keeps the reader interested as the story builds to a climax.