h is for hawk Flashcards
(17 cards)
a conjuring trick A reptile. A fallen angel. A griffon from the pages of an illuminated bestiary.
comparing the bird to things that are out of reality to highlight it’s presence as a fascination
Metaphor. Minor then a short sentence and juxtaposition using comparison with different creatures, and religious and mythical language to portray the bird as an angel, almost a saviour.
By comparing the bird to a saviour of sorts, she could be referencing how she felt that the bird would save her from her grief, as she had just lost her father.
like gold falling through water…the sun spreads on dust and water…her wild eyes the colour of the sun
lexical field of water and sunlight to symbolise the necessities of life which may heal her from her father’s death and bring an element of joy
her wild eyes were the colour of the sun on white paper…i looked into her eyes and saw something blank and crazy in her stare.
both birds still hold a sense of blankness in their eyes. the first bird contains more depth and colour, whereas the second bird holds more emptiness.
-this metaphor reflects how macdonald writes a book from the blankness she feels onto empty pages.
both birds represent her grief perhaps, the first is more hopeful but is more damaged (hence the wings) but shes trying the escape the second one except it keeps pulling her back
one, two, three
power of 3 used ot create suspense
colour of sun
makes her feel warm inside
i looked into her eyes
states that she had to look into her eyes, whereas before in the first bird, there was no need to but yet still found more without even having to look.
highlights the comparison
I’m sure nothing I said persuaded him more than the look on my face as I said it. A tall, white-faced woman with wind-wrecked hair and exhausted eyes was pleading with him
on a quayside, hands held out as if she were in a seaside production of Medea.
Use of an epic simile (she’s comparing herself to Medea from the Classical Greek play “Jason and Medea” by Euripides- where in some versions she kills her children after Jason abandons her which is quite a crazy thing to do) helps to depict her unusual appearance and manner. Use of the alliteration of the “W” sound also helps to emphasise this point, alongside her specifically chosen adjectives. Use of the verb meaning to beg implies her desperation.
A sudden thump of feathered shoulders and the box shook as if someone had punched it, hard, from within.
Commas and the use of the subordinate clause helps to exaggerate the force/power which the bird has. Use of the simile/personification of the bird also helps to convey the force that she has
It was the wrong bird. This was the younger one. The smaller one. This was not my hawk
Short sentences which help us to understand her thoughts and feelings of an emotional reaction, a crushing disappointment
She came out like a Victorian Melodrama
A simile which creates an emotive and dramatic tone as it describes her reaction of panic horror and desperation towards the second bird.
This hawk had been hatched in an incubator, … , and for the first few days of her life this man had fed her
A description of her feelings. It shows that she feels reflected into he first bird due to the thought of a falconer feeding her which is uncertain, but emphasises the father& children relationship she had before.
Another hinge untied. Concentration. Infinite caution. Daylight irrigating the box.
Minor sentences which are not dramatically correct. Conveys her emotions of concern, worry and the fact that she is really nervous to meet her bird for the first time. In addition, tension is created as its a climatic structure of getting closer to seeing the bird.
As if someone had punched it, hard, from within
Simile which reflects the power of the bird. Also it already shows her emotions for this bird as she is aware of how amazing she is just from that box.
Oh.
Single word paragraph and sentence. Portrays suspense and silence, at the same time it illustrates her feelings of disappointment with that reaction
Fizzing and fusing
Alliteration which express the confusion of the author. She is dubious about whether keeping the bird or not as the numbers are wrong however she is dazzled by her appearance
Im sure the other falconer would like the other bird? She is more beautiful than the first one, isn’t she? I know this is out of order, but I … could I?
Use of rethorical questions. This shows her desperate and crazy attempt to try and keep the first bird as she loves her so much more than the second one.
On the other hand, a sense of confusion and doubt is created for the reader due to her incoherent expressions to try and keep the bird ‘ she is more beautiful than the first one’. This is non-sense for the reader as she is contradicting her self
There was a moment of total silence
Ending sentences of the text. Suspense is used to convey the seriousness of this problem. She doesn’t accept that the bird she has to keep is hers as it makes her feel horrified.
