A passage to africa

Question 1

“Appalled”

Answer 1

• verb “appalled” highlights atrocities that have occured in Gufgaduud - originally reporters back home would have been immensely affected by what they have been presented with
• later states that what may have “appalled” them previously - “no longer impressed them” - demonstrates excessive portrayal of war in the media - over-exposure to these violent events has caused us to become highly desesnitised to what we see - limiting our compassion/desire to help those in disastrous circumstances

Question 2

“like a craving for a drug”

Answer 2

• similie “like a craving for a drug” evokes feeling of hostility - further emphasises how society has developed a callous relationship toward tragedies - we have been overexposed to such a vast amount of violent media that we no longer feel sympathetic over events that should be considered horrific
• forced media to persue increasingly tragic events, hoping to make national headlines by shocking the public even more than they have become accustomed to - earning large amounts of money in the process
• exponential search for distressing stories is similar to that of the addiction of a drug - constantly searching for the next level of potency

Question 3

“like a ghost village”

Answer 3

• simile to describe the distant village of Gufgaduud as “like a ghost village”, tangibly because the village has been plagued by death and suffering, but metaphorically because the people of Gufgaduud have lost all faith in external help and their village, albeit not entirely destroyed, has stopped breathing.