Explorer's Daughter

Loads of quotes for this text, but specifically for language features:

'my heart also urged the narwhal to dive, to leave, to survive.'- Rule of 3 is used to show Herbert's desperation for the narwhal to survive despite wanting the hunter to win the narwhal. This too shows her dilemma.

' "How can you possibly eat seal?" ' - Direct Speech to present the opinions of westerners (the expected readers)

'Every hunter was on the water.' - Short sentence used to build up tension.

'Spectral play of colour,' - Play on words showing the beauty of the Arctic. Can resemble a spectre or a ghost, putting a sense of unreality into situation. OR, spectral can be seen as specturm- colours, waves of light. Shows physical and mystical sides to Arctic.

'evening light was turning butter-gold.' - 'butter' with gold intensifies the color- it is richer and more luxuriant.

'valuble part of the diet for both man and dogs...Its single ivory tusk...was used for harpoon tips,' - factual and detailed paragrpah showing the necessity of hunting narwhal- simple and prepares us for hunting scene.

'The women clustered' - suggest sense of community

'Each wife knew her husband instinctivley' - the word 'instinctivley' reminds the reader of animals- Herbert sgugets teh balanced forces of man and whale.

'It was crucial... staple diet'- These words emphaise that hunting is a matter of survival to Inuit people.

'They talk to one another under water' - 'talk' builds up sympathy in reader, also shows how narwhales too are a community/ family.

'The hunter had no rifle.' - Shows vulnerability of the men and also shows taht the fight is fair, the men don't have usual advantage of guns.

'My heart leapt for both hunter and narwhal.' - she feels sympathy for both men and whales. Tension of the situation - 'heart leapt'

'Hunting is still an absolute necessity in Thule.' - concludes with a clearly stated opinion using a simple sentence.

• On the first paragraph, Herbert invites reader to share appreciation of the Arctic.

• Focus shifts and language becomes more factual- she establishes the necessity of hunting.

• Focus shifts again to the hunt - excitement and tension but the dilemma of who to support. After this, she doesnt tell us the conclusion of the hunt.

• Passage ends with her firmly supporting the need to hunt in Thule.

IDEAS 

-sympathy for both sides (man and narwhal)- both have the right to exist.

-The understanding of someone who has lived in Thule for a while- experience.

-factual knowledge to persuade.

-Empathise with attitudes of Westerners, whilst disagreeing.

-Believes in the necessity of hunting in Thule.

METHODS

-Descriptive language.      - Factual, informative language.

- Structuring for persuasion.       - Direct engagement with an opposing view

-Complex sentences for description.        -Short sentences for tension.