Chemistry Flashcards
What are the key themes of chemistry
- Changing Relationships
- Change
- Death
- Chemistry
What Structure does chemistry have?
- Cyclical structure (start at pond and end at pond)
- Power Shift in male domination and dynamics
What imagery is there in chemistry?
Water- The pond, sea, chemical experiments
Idea of flowing through life and holding memories but never being the same
Quotes about loss and their analysis:
“Soon after mother met ralph, we watched the boat (…) suddenly become deeper and deeper”
“You must accept it- you can’t get it back- it’s the only way”
Experiencing loss for the first time, foreshadowing and the family dynamic has been disrupted and shifted.
Quotes about separation:
“Spending more and more time in his garden shed”
“You’re ruining our meal (…) out to the shed”
“as a miniature home”
“the shed was another sealed off world”
Isolation and abandonment, physical and emotional separation.
Quotes about life ever changing:
“conduct his chemical experiments over which he hummed and chuckled gratefully to himself”
“not making- changing. Chemistry is the science of change. You don’t make this is chemistry- you change them, anything can change”
“even gold can change”
The season of autumn
The idea of continuous changing relationships in the family, constantly going through loss and forever changing
Who are the main characters of this story?
- Mother
- Son
- Grandfather
- Ralph
- Dead dad
Quotes about the mothers emotional state:
“she gripped my shoulders (…) same quivers look about to spill over”
“Apple Crumble”
“burnt sugar and apple juice seethed for a moment over the edge of the dish”
“as if some outside force were all the time directing her”
“she looked trapped and helpless”
She’s a passive character and emotional unreliable
Grandfather being a dominant male figure:
“he had to do this to prove we were not beyond his reach”
“he deliberately ate slowly to provoke ralph”
“his loneliness were written in a form only i could read”
