Model answer for Question 2 of the IGCSE English Language paper

Read the passage entitled Life on Inishmaan

2

By referring closely to the language used by the writer, explain how he

communicates:

the excitement of the voyage to Inishmaan

the nature of the interior of the houses.

(10 Marks)

The main things that the narrator wishes to communicate to the reader about his journey
are the pleasure of travelling in a small boat because of its closer connection to nature and
also the unpredictable power that the ocean holds. This mood of pure happiness is set
when he describes the exquisite satisfaction he feels at heading out on a more primitive
adventure away from the norms of civilization. The word exquisite is a superlative
which suggests perfection; the narrator believes the day could not be improved upon.
When the narrator describes the how the structure of the canoe bent and quivered with
the waves he emphasises the closer connection to the ocean that travelling in a canoe can
afford a person; his joy seems to stem from being at one with the waves. The rise and fall
of the ocean is further emphasised with alliteration of the phrase green, glittering
waves. The g sound seems to mimic the glugging, sloshing sound of the water against
the canvas canoe. With this closer connection, however, he recognises that the ocean is a
place that deserves respect and makes its own rules. This individual power is emphasised
when the narrator describes the waves as seeming to toss the canoe among themselves.
This personification of the waves seems to infer that the waves make their own decisions
and anybody who travels on them will be playing a game where the rules are set by them.
On this ocean people, and the vessels they travel in, are playthings for the waves.
Once arriving at the island the narrator is struck by the beauty he finds in simplistic
objects and also the hospitable nature of its inhabitants. He is intrigued by the fact that
everyday objects made with purely practical considerations in mind have ironically
acquired a natural artistic beauty. A lot of this beauty is connected with the choice of
colours made by the islanders because it reminds him of an Eastern richness. By
Eastern the narrator means Asian countries that are well known for their artistic
abilities, especially their use of bold primary colours like the red of the womens dresses.
This image of the woman clustering around the fire also emphasises the communal
nature of the inhabitants. They seem to pull together and make sure he is well cared for
by assigning him a teacher and a guide. The work ethic is evident in the listing of
objects that have all been crafted with individuality. The listing emphasises the amount
of work that needs to take place for such a community to survive. In the last sentence a
natural link between the inhabitants is recognised. This link means that the people must
rely on the natural world to provide them with their means of survival and have therefore
built up a great respect for the environment they inhabit.