FICTION Below is an extract from Onion Tears (2000) by Shubnum Khan. The
novel portrays the relationship between three generations of Indian women in
South Africa (Khadeejah, her daughter Summaya and Summaya’s daughter
Aneesa) and how this relationship is affected by secrets in the family. Write a
carefully-worded essay of about 1000 – 1200 words (approximately 2 to 3 typed
pages) in which you critically analyse the extract, showing how the literary
features of the extract function to depict emotional pain. How is this theme
conveyed in the passage?
The extract from Onion Tears (2000) by Shubnum Khan portrays Summaya’s
emotional pain and how her thoughts oscillate between trivial matters and more
pressing issues. In this carefully crafted extract, the author uses literary features
such as imagery, symbolism, and mood to create a vivid depiction of Summaya’s
emotional state.
The extract begins with Summaya waiting for the bank manager and becoming
impatient. The waiting time allows her to introspect and reflect on her thoughts,
which the author uses to convey Summaya's emotional pain. The use of first-person
narration allows the reader to get an insight into Summaya's thoughts, which range
from fanciful musings to real issues that torment her. The author uses this approach
to contrast between the serious and trivial thoughts that preoccupy Summaya’s
mind, thereby drawing a clear line between her conscious and subconscious mind.
The author uses imagery to create a mood of melancholy and sadness in the reader.
The author uses the phrase “Real things that were so serious they almost became
funny to think about” to highlight how Summaya grapples with her emotional pain
and how the situation seems so daunting that it's hard to comprehend its reality. This
phrase is a classic example of how literary features create emotions in the reader.
The use of words such as "serious" and "funny" creates a feeling of cognitive
dissonance, which is a classic technique used by poets to heighten the emotional
tension and stir up conflicting emotions in the reader.
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