Statements that you can use in your 2.4 essays đ
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Short text statements
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In the short story âThe Bathâ the bath is compared to a grave symbolizing the danger in performing everyday tasks. For example, she sees her mind and body as two different things, working against each other; âsurprising her bad back and powerless wrists into performing feats they might normally rebel against.â She sees her body as the enemy, not a friend, meaning that the old lady is a danger to herself.
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When Mr. Page brings the bouquet of berries to his wife as she lies in a coma the berries symbolize hope in his wife waking up. âPerhaps his wife, lying in a strange secret garden where those instruments tended her, would notice the berries.â The red berries are life through blood, representing the natural in the outside world and contrasting with the artificial of the machines keeping Mrs. Paget alive. Frame uses the symbol in the short story in order to present ideas of hope and the natural world.
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The scene set in the graved in âThe Bathâ emphasizes the loneliness of elderly life. For example, âI shout for help, she thought, no one will hear me. No on e in the world will hear meâ shows the isolated loneliness of the old lady and her theory as she feels very lonely without her husband. âI looked after my husbandâs grave for 17 yearsâ also shows her heart is still with her husband and in a way shows her wishes either for him or to join him in death.
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In âThe Bathâ the old woman is constantly saying âNo one will hear me, no one, no oneâ, reinforcing the idea to herself that she is alone now, though occasionally she dares to think how much easier it would be if her husband were alive, or if she were dead. In âWinter Gardenâ the words âno change, no changeâ are constantly repeated throughout the story to emphasise how trapped and isolated Mr. Paget feels. Frame uses repetition in both texts to support the isolation of her main characters.
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In âWinter Gardenâ, the language technique of dialogue used by the neighbours communicates the loneliness of the main character. A quote from the story is âties him to the gardenâ. This shows us that his garden is like a replacement wife and now that sheâs in hospital on life support he puts all his attention to his garden. This is to keep him busy and to hide his loneliness from the world. There is âno changeâ which shows his loneliness because he canât escape from his life and the pain his wifeâs sickness has caused him.
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Frame uses internal monologue the to express the feelings of helplessness and desperation that the old lady goes through while in the bath and trying to get out. She says âIf I shout for help no one will hear me. No one in the world will hear me. No one will know if Iâm in the bath and canât get out.â The main character in âWinter Gardenâ, Mr. Paget, expresses this helplessness of life; âWould she not be better dead then lying silent, unknowing in a world where he could not reach her.â Frame uses internal monologue to highlight the isolation and despair of these characters â they must speak to themselves ultimately because they have no one to talk with.
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In âThe Bathâ, the language technique of transitioning from third person narration to first person narration, when the main character talks to herself, is used to communicate the loneliness of the main character. Frame uses this to emphasise and bring sympathy from readers due to the fact that when elderly people have been living by themselves for years, they get lonely and crave the company of others. By talking to themselves it gives them comfort.
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Frame uses metaphor when the old lady of âThe Bathâ is describing the bath tub as an insurmountable obstacle to her; âThe edge of the bath âŚcliff edgeâ shows how afraid she is of the challenges of looking after herself now that she is older. The bath is also âyellow stainedâ, making it seem aged just like the main character. Frame presents her as believing the bath is something she cannot escape, an enemy to her survival.
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In the short text âWinter Gardenâ, Frame uses contrast from the environment of the hospital where there is âno changeâ to the ever-changing seasons in the garden , to highlight both the idea of mortality and immortality. When winter comes, representing old age, Mrs. Paget dies along with the garden, although we see Mr. Paget still tending the garden in spring, symbolising both his never-ending love and nature continuing after death.
Year 12 English 