Originally Flashcards
(27 cards)
“We came from our own country”
“We” implies whole family are together, the move is affecting them all.
“Our own” suggests she has a possession of Scotland, she is sure of her identity.
“Red”
Connotations of anger which is reflecting her reaction to moving.
“Fall through the fields”
Alliteration of “f” draws attention to the little control she has as you cannot control falling.
“Mother singing”
Mum is optimistic which is contrast to Duffy and her brothers.
“Bawling home”
Highlights their distress.
“As the miles rushed back”
Reflects her own desire to return home.
“The city, the street, the house”
List of places mimics her journey but in revserse. It highlights her desire to return home.
“Where we didn’t live anymore”
Becoming resgined to the fact that they will not return there.
“I stared”
Duffy is quiet and resigned which is contrast to her brothers who are loud.
“Eyes of a blind toy”
Implies she is uncertain about her future, she cannot see if she’ll fit in.
“Holding its paw”
Traditionally a toy would provide comfort to a child but it isn’t working here, she’s too distressed.
“All childhood is an emigration”
Compared to a major uprooting - change that is outwith control. Moving from the comfortable to the uncertain.
“Others are sudden. Your accent wrong”
Short and abrupt sentences implies how quick the changes are. How fast she had to adapt from Scotland to England.
“Accent wrong”
Barrier between her and the other kids. Speaking the same language isn’t enough for her to fit in.
“Seemed”
Word choice implies her confusion and the feeling of not belonging.
“Shouting words you don’t understand”
Language is alien to her and she is confused by how they behave.
“Stirred like a loose tooth”
Her mother was optimistic but now she is anxious. Shows the parents are struggling with the move but aren’t showing it.
“I want our own country”
Reminds reader how young Duffy was by using childish terms. Reminds us how much she is going through at a young age.
“But”
Draws attention to Duffy’s change in line of thought. She focuses on the invevitability of change.
“You forget, or don’t recall”
Duffy uses second person to show the often fragile nature of childhood memory. “You” instead of “I” distances the speaker from her memory.
“Skelf of shame”
Skelf means small. Using this word shows she still has her Scottish identity but her shame is small which implies she’s fitting in.
“Shedding its skin”
Just as a snake sheds its skin to reveal its new self, so to she has shed her Scottish accent and has a new accent.
“Sounding just like the rest”
She’s aware she is losing her old identity but still feels out of place. She is never going to fully belong.
“I only”
Emphasises her isolation from family and others.
