power Flashcards
(13 cards)
past tense narration
places the reader in an uncertain, vulnerable, mysterious position, like the narrator was, with unanswered question
reflects misbalance of knowledge between the characters and the power dynamics that creates
constant threat of “miscarriage”
irony as the threat of miscarriage is usually in terms of fertility,
but the miscarriage of justice and the state of reversion
and devolution it has led to
janines “smirk”
ironic because the threat to her life has increased massively, yet still bragging
reflects human need to find power despite the complete loss of individuality
illusions of power
“burden of truth”
the illusion of power being easier to accept than the truth that you have none
both authors call for the pursuit of truth (wells with the criticism’s of the news versus atwood with the criticism of the government and church)
“‘dead man from mars’” / use of press
represents the medias sensationalisation of tragedy - luring people to the danger
media should be a warning / archive of information, instead is used a tool to influence people
emphasises the need for the spread of truth that is not present in victorian society
“policeman came galloping”
juxtaposition of the zoomorphistic verb of ‘gallop’ versus ‘policeman’ which is the epitome of both power and human society
destruction of society into chaos
“sticking intothe skin of our old planet earth like a poisoned dart”
extended metaphor of the cylinder as a poisoned dart
emphasises martians intelligence as darts is a game of skill, earth being vulnerable
reflects our own destruction to earth, poisoning the one thing that can save us (the bacteria at the end)
“it never was a war, anymore than there a war between man and ants?”
power blinds you to your own destruction
hierarchal violence is the choice of the higher up species
“i once had a garden”
garden - imagery for garden of eden
she once had potential, bliss, paradise, etc.
ideas of ownership and loss of power + loss of ownership of the abstract
reflects the heirachy is new, she once wasnt below serena joy
cigarette imagery
illusion of power
symbol of humanity vulnerability (addiction, vices, cant follow rules, self destruction)
symbol of rebellion, one person only releases enough smoke to hurt themselves
opposes the martians perfection
“there are no lawyers anymore”
world devoid of justice, but not of prosecution
“keep calm, they said on television”
the lack of speech marks reflect the internalisation of the media
dangerousness of trust in media, who dont always know more than us yet are treated like an omnipotent force
“when power is scarce, a little of it is tempting”
the rationing of power as a control tool
human desire for power and autonomy, easily corruptive and corrupted
