Half Caste

Question 1

Half Caste: Form

Answer 1

Free verse –> No rules

• doesn’t follow the rules
• Politcal: doesn’t have to do things how the old white men do it

Question 2

Half Caste: Structure

Answer 2

• Tone starts as confrontational –> reconciliatory
• Dialect changes from standard english –> guyanses creole
• lack of punctuation –> ongoing problem
• only fixed (when endstops) when people stop being prejudiced
• reducto ad absurbdum

Question 3

Half Caste: Big Ideas

Answer 3

• Challenging peoples negative view of race
• Adresses hypocrisies and absurbities of prejudice + racism

Question 4

Half - caste

Answer 4

• Title to emphasise how oppressive phrase is
• caste in latin means pure

Question 5

Excuse me

Answer 5

Standard English - shows assimilation

• hook in reader and implied listener
• Stereotypically English –> passive agressive tone

Question 6

Explain yuself // wha yu mean

Answer 6

• Creole dialect to highlight his identity
• Second person + imperative address to challenge reader
• apona –> pretended lack of knowledge

make them justify themsleves

Question 7

in fact some o dem cloud// half-caste till dem overcast// so spiteful dem overcast// so spiteful dem dont want de sun pass

Answer 7

enjambment

• many ideas over flowing
• identity not constrained

talking about weather - very british

natural imagery - sky and clouds = mixed –> natural and normal

overcast - play on words

Question 8

max a black key / wid a white key / is a half caste symphony

Answer 8

• antithetical pairing

symphony - lots of sounds working together

Question 9

ah listening to yu wid de keen/ half of mih ear

Answer 9

Mini Turning point

• From example to himself
• From reclaiming the word to underminding it

Question 10

HC: Person imagery

Answer 10

• Plays on absurdity
  • being half a person
• All are signs of respect
  • as they are only ‘half’ they can only give ‘half’

Question 11

half-a-eye + half-a-dream

Answer 11

• eye –> always have to be vigilent
• dream –> aren’t able to fully achieve due to prejuicie

Question 12

but you must come back tomorrow

Answer 12

Real turning point

• Power shift to the speaker as he uses imperatives

Question 13

wid de who of yu eye/ an de whole of yu ear/ … mind

Answer 13

• implies listener is the half -person
• Prejuidice stops them from fully hearing/seeing/thinking

Question 14

an I will tell yu/ de other half / of my story

Answer 14

• Offers solution to open minded lkistener
• half viewed as a positive