Hieroglyphics Anne Donovan

What is the poem about?

About the poem. Dramatic monologue. 1 st person – shows her thoughts.

Setting. The setting zooms in from generic to specific. grey cityscape. (could be anywhere) Drumchapel (specific town) Kinfauns drive (specific road) High school - how is it described? Specific class Shows her lack of experiences of different places. Along with fact she hadn’t seen animals until school trip, what does this tell us about her background?

Dialect. What do you think the point of this is?

Easy to imagine her tone and feelings. Helps us to identify with, and understand, the character.

Structure. Opening. Introduces the theme. Introduces setting and character. Hyperbole – pointlessness in what she is learning.

Turning point. “Then ah startit deain the hieroglyphics for real.”

Resolution. “And the wan day ah couldnae take it oany longer.” Emotive language and sense of hope. Pride in her work and happy of her achievement.

Symbolism. Her letters Hieroglyphics Grey Way she draws her teachers

Her letters – misplaced on the page, moving, scary. Hieroglyphics – indecipherable. Shows a lack of progress. Grey – lack of opportunities and excitement in her life. Way she draws her teachers: Miss Niven – half sparrow – delicate, beautiful. Mr Alexander – half fish Mr Kelly – God of Underworld Head master – sun god or Sphinx

Humour. Description of Mr Kelly: “sarky bastard” “he used to squint at ye…as if he wis examining ye through a microscope an hid jist discovered some new strain a bacteria that could wipe oot the entre population a Glesga.” Describing the journey into the next life as being like going to Ayr for the day. Shows her lack of experiences.

2 nd paragraph when talking about the likelihood of seeing animals where she lives. “You could of lookt oot the windae at some big hairy orange beast devourin yer wee sister…”

What are the differences between the characters of the different teachers? What are their attitudes towards Mary? How do they help or hinder her (use evidence from the text).

Should we feel sorry for Mary or is she capable of overcoming these problems? Quote evidence to back up your point.

Tone. Conversational/chatty Colloquial/informal Frank/honest – makes us sympathise because we see how innocent and vulnerable she is. What is the tone at the end?

Themes What are the themes?

Childhood. Childish imagination. Belief in “fairy godmother” shows innocence. Hope. Despite everything she draws a smiley face and shows her optimism. Isolation and prejudice. Way people are picked on for their differences, and shows the way it can effect people.

Old-fashioned education system and how it fails children who learn differently. “Ma mammy thoat ah wis daft”. “Takes me that long tae copy.” “the lesson’s nearly finished and ah’ve missed it.”

Imagery. Find 2 examples of imagery.

Comparisons to racehorses. “the class like a field a racehorses”.

“only the furst two or three could keep up wi him.” “The rest wur scribblin furiously…then he’d tease them wi a pause…he wis aff again lik lightnin.” “ah wis the wan that fell at the furst fence.”

“The class were aw sittin up like circus lions at this point, wonderin whit the ringmaister wis gonnae dae next.”

Describing letters or her writing as insects. “dancin roond like big black spiders.” “like wee scarab beetles scurryin aboot the page”.

Mary’s character. How do you feel towards Mary? Determination despite lack of help. Has to learn to help herself. No support at school. Isolated from peers. Tutor has left. Belief she can’t learn/ is stupid. Mary has good memory.

Intelligent Aware of her own weaknesses Helps others Strong numeracy skills Good at art Creates own form of communication From working class background Father not around Doesn’t appear to have friends