What is the genre of the explorers daughter
Autobiographical Memoir-reflecting on the Inuit way of life
What is the central concern of explorers daughter
She is grappling with the idea of it being ok for the tribe to hunt narwhals which is a necessity
Who is the audience for explorers daughter
The western audience who are willing to expand their knowledge
What is the purpose of explorers daughter
To persuade audience to acknowledge other cultures viewpoints
To inform and explore the issue of the hunt
Conflict between western world and their traditional view of life
What is the structure of explorers daughter
-first person perspective- allows us to understand her personal experiences and opinions
-chronological account
What are the shifts
Initially:mystical
Middle:factual/scientific
Next: emotive
End: reflective/ moral dilemma
‘Two hours’
-begins in media res- we are immediately in the action of the hunt
-builds anticipation and suspense for the reader
‘Hunters’
-referred to by their role- shows the importance of their role and how it is central to their identity
-makes them anonymous
-hunters are male- shows clear division with gender and their stereotypical values
‘Catching the light in a spectral play.’
-vivid imagery shows how she is in awe of their natural beauty
-poetic and mystical description- makes them seem as if they are a figure of fantasy
‘Always slowly, methodically passing each other by.’
-liquid soundscape gives a feeling of tranquility
-shows her respect for the narwhal
‘Glittering kingdom’
‘Butter-gold’
-semantic field of light
-give a fairytale quality and shows her fascination of the landscape
When is the first shift
In line 13 to factual
‘Mattak’ ‘blubber’
-uses jargon to show her credibility
-makes her seem like an authoritative voice
‘The women clustered on the knoll of the lookout.’
-leading up to the action
-sense of excitement for the reader
-shift again to the tension filled hunt
‘Essential. ‘Necessary’
-semantic field of necessity
-show how they are key for survival
‘Like watching a vast waterborne game.’
‘Like a net around the sound.’
-game is relatable for the western audience- allows the reader to also feel the excitement and tension of the hunt
-uses a playful description that deviates from the hunt
-second metaphor contradicts the first one as she highlights the serious role of the hunters in the hunt
-predatory
-she constantly contradicts herself replicating the self conflict in her mind
‘So very still’
-adds a level of stillness and is indicative of quiet as they wait to attack
-increases suspense and tension
‘In that split second my heart leapt for both the hunter and the narwhal.’
‘I urged the man on in my head.’
‘At the same time my heart also urged the narwhal.’
-she grapples with the internal dilemma as she is aligned with both
-heart vs head. Rationality vs emotional side
-shows her respect for the hunters and admiration of the narwhals
-synecdoche of urged emphasised her desperation
‘To dive, to leave, to survive.’
-triadic structure and omission of conjunction. Asyndetic listing with internal rhyme
-presents her desperation and urgency for the narwhal
-stresses her concern and emotional response
‘This dilemma stayed with me the whole time that I was in Greenland.’
-another shift to a reflective tone
-juxtaposes with romanticised description as beginning of extract
-she still grapples with the dilemma
‘Hunting is still an absolute necessity in Thule.’
-intensifier sums up her thoughts with a strong unarguable statement- clear sense of resolution
-very clear, semantic field of necessity
-emphatically placed so it resonates with the reader
-ends on a simultaneously serious and admiring tone
