Exploring Modern Texts, AQA English Literature, Sunlight on the Grass, Short Stories.

1. Sunlight on the Grass Powerpoint
AO1 – Themes and Ideas
AO2 – Language, structure & form

2. My Polish Teacher’s Tie
AO1 – Loss of Identity
• Carla identifies herself through materialistic attributes (hourly wage, unattractive
uniform) which presents lack of confidence in herself. She allows the perception of her
£3.89/hour identity to weigh down her cultural identity.
• She embodies herself through objects – “wiped my surfaces”; the use of pronoun gives
impression that she is devaluing herself – self deprecating.
• She confides in the reader, “I like the kids.” implies she doesn’t see eye to eye with her
colleagues and portrays her as an introverted character with an inability to connect
with her fellow workmates.
Resurfacing of Identity
• She retracts into her £3.89/hour self when she feels she’s lost Stefan and loses her
‘new found self’, shown through; ‘blue overall’; ‘big teapot’; ‘plate of buns in front of
me’
• Her decision to reveal who she is to Stefan shows a new character has been awoken;
she gains self respects from line 150 – overcomes her dislike of other teachers
• Realisation on what and who is important ‘not going to wait time on the head’; ‘want
to talk about poetry’ – she has developed to realise that materialistic views of herself
aren’t important and the appreciation she has for culture and poetry is part of her
inner beauty – Stefan is used as a medium for her to recover confidence and
appreciation for her Polish roots.

3. Class
• A major dislike between Carla and the teachers – she detaches herself from the
school’s teaching community using the repeated pronoun ‘they’ (AO2).
• She shows a lack of interest and thought in what the head has to say to ‘his
staff’, ‘as a rule’ which gives the impression that it’s a natural reaction for her.
• ‘knot’ of teachers suggests that it’s hard to get into – an enclosed group and
she’s excluded, not wanted.
• Short sentences show resentment from Carla, ‘I’m half Polish. They don’t know
that here.’ suggests a bitterness, reinforces introversion.
Valerie Kenward
• Presented unfavourably by Carla, clearly dislikes her, she embodies Carla’s
thoughts of the class difference.; sarcastic, ‘the pope…’ which reveals
smugness/self satisfaction of Valerie, hypocritical persona, ‘she’s on a diet,
picks the biggest bun’
• Verb choice suggests exaggerative/sly ‘she whispered’,
• Evidence suggests she is close minded and emotionally immature as she has
only allowed Stefan to stay to benefit her own persona. She ‘flushes’ – suggests
proudness. She judges him on his clothes – shows close mindedness – “His
ties”… “You’ve never seen anything like them”

4. AO2 – Language
• Colloquial, informal language and half sentences – confirms Carla’s ordinariness
and Englishness.
• Pronouns show detachment and emphasise dislike.
• Informalities between the head/Valarie shows contrast between head/Carla.
• Use of ‘knot’; ‘overall’; ‘shovel’ use for an effect – daunting and strenuous.
Symbolism
• Implied that Carla is the ‘poetic bird’ – everyone could hear her sing but nobody
could find her – she is ‘found’ by Stefan. Just as the bird got ‘lost in the tunnels’
Carla was lost in her £3.89-self and as nobody could find the bird, nobody could
see the inner beauty of Carla’s appreciation for culture and poetry.
• The ‘terribly hopeful tie’ represents innocence and optimism – something Carla
has lost. She makes a connection with Steve and looks past his attire and
appreciates him for who he really is – and vice versa.

5. Structure
• The story takes a short story structure, with a climax and resolution. The final
scene is almost a release from the pent up introversion and loneliness. The song
cuts into Carla like a “knife through butter” into her past/identity, unlocking a ‘new
her’ which opens the flood gates to her memory of her dormant language.
Narrative
• First person narrative which moulds the perceptions of the reader to a biased view
towards Carla’s feelings and Carla’s position and opinion of the teachers at the
school – her views shape ours.
• Minimal dialogue used – reinforces shyness and introversion – text portrayed as
inner thoughts “I would be off sick, or I would say Jade was ill” – shows thought
process .
Tone/style
• Use of simple sentences in the story achieve impact, sarcasm and irony.

6. When the Wasps Drowned
AO1 – Childhood
• The anaphoric beginning and repetition of “that was the summer” suggests that the story is
a reflection on childhood.
• Childish behaviour shown, such as childish revenge/mock bravery after the wasps attack.
Moreover, using the Smarties to smear the colour on their faces.
• During the story, the children are devoid of parental care and Wiglet shows this through the
state of the house ‘grime’ shows a level of care which corresponds with the children.
Childhood/adulthood conflict
• Large theme where Evelyne wants to enter the adult world but she actually still acts like a
child.
• ‘Confining’ could be seen as Evelyn forced to shy in her childhood – like a jail, she has a lack
of freedom due to responsibilities for her siblings.
• Not necessarily ready for adulthood, she has a lack of understanding/compassion for the
emotional needs of her siblings when she gets rid of the wasps ‘watching her through the
grime of the kitchen window’ not acting to help her siblings.
• ‘Fashions a bikini’ – suggests wanting to be an adult.
• She is understanding of the situation, ‘I think we’d better fill up the hole’ is a pivotal part –
she realises that finding the ring is wrong – she decides not to act on it, shows immaturity.

7. Heat and Summer
• The heat of ‘that summer’ pervades everything – coupled with the ‘confining’
garden, the ‘ache of cars’, mum’s ‘swollen’ feed, her ‘sweaty uniform’ – everything
appears to be an exaggerated effort.
• The days continue to be ‘stifled’ by the heat – perhaps like the buried girl.
• Lack of dialogue shows languid approach to the situation and lack of emergency.
Dead Girl
• Ring provide symbolism (AO2) for a link between the dead girl and Evelyn as the
girl is buried and Evelyn is buried under the responsibility of her siblings.

8. AO2 – Narrative
• ‘That was the summer…’ hangs over the story until the readers suspicions are made flesh.
The incident with the wasps becomes incidental – only important in as far as it carries the
same weight as the death of the girl. It relaxes the reader that the event was not as
morbid as it could have been which doubles the shock factor in the later imagery of the
hand.
• The reflective tone adds a sense of unreliable narration and distance, for example, “when
I was finally tall enough”, “I remember him laughing as I turned the hose on her”, “It was
maybe early August when she and Tyler”, the callow language options suggests a distant,
distorted, flawed memory.
Imagery
• Could be deduced that the opportunity that Eveline has to give the police information
could be a symbol for Eveline having the chance to finally venture into the adult world
that the strives to be in, however, she chooses the incorrect choice and does not give
information – but insteads hides the ring. This is a clear indication that she’s not ready for
character development and the mature adult world.
• She chooses the option of childish guilt which leaves her in the “dark hallway” which
would symbolise her ordinary teen life.
• Evelin e is portrayed as vulnerable, “barefoot on the lino” which creates the image of
abandonment of the children, enabling the reader to take on a caring role for the
children – a parental figure that the children are perhaps missing – building the
compassion the reader has for the children.

9. Languid Language
• Words like “finally”, “sighed”, further add to the lethargic feeling of the story due to
the imposed summer heat.

10. Compass and Torch
AO1 – Children’s perspective on adult world
• Though the boy shows natural childish excitement about the trip and the desperation to see
his father. For example, line 113, his excitement is portrayed through the rule of 3. “Longed
for” shows that the trip is almost compulsory for the boy – he needs it (the guidance and
relationship of his father). He claims the moment as his own.
• The boy picks up on the attitude of Jim towards his father, but the use of simple sentence
“Jim is not his dad” shows that the child will only accept his “real” father, an image
commonly found in children.
• Boy reassures himself in line 120, when repetition is used to illustrate that the boy needs to
reassure himself to be rid of his doubt in regard to the situation.
Fatherhood
• Jim is presented very positively – he is shown to be reliable as he checks the “working order”
of the torch – could be seen as making sure as the boy has the guidance he needs, suggests
Jim wants to be the father figure for him. He is “gentle” and acts “kindly”.
• However, due to the child’s partisan attitude towards Jim, there is irony as the real fatherly
person is regained. Shown when he “forces” himself to “acknowledge Jim’s kindness and
affirmation”, the word force shows child does not accept the exchange.

11. Fatherhood
• Dad is shown as self-absorbed and not affectionate as he walks off “without looking around
to check the boy is following”. Also, he never starts the conversation and replies in very short
sentences which shows a lack of interest – contrasting to Jim.
• Adjectives describe father as machine, gives impression he is emotionally devoid.
• Oxymoron, “cheerfully, dismissively” reveals man’s inner conflicting emotions.
AO2 - Symbols
• Horses symbolise the silent, but present relationship – embody the unspoken urges and
impulses. The chance to feed the horses is the chance to develop the relationship. “Ghost-
coloured ponies” signifies death and suggest they are underfed, similar to the relationship.
• Compass & torch are symbolic – torch – a red one – bright and optimistic, could shine light
into dark places, also acts as a filler for guidance in the boy’s life.
• There are two torches but no compass, symbolic for two father’s but no relationship, when
there are two torches present the boy questions, “does this make one of them redundant?”
suggesting Jim’s presence in his life takes away the need for his own father’s guidance. The
absence of the compass portrays the lack of direction in their relationship – they both have a
torch (the guidance) for the father/son relationship but they have no means in getting there,
or direction.
• “Ancient rocks glint like heaving carcasses asleep” gives impression of a dead, but living,
thing – like the relationship, it acts as a pathetic fallacy.

12. Structure
• Conventional, with a linear narrative in the third person, with one flashback.
• Boy’s perspective emphasised by repetition.
• As a child who is anxious to please, he may obsess about a detail – “he ought to have
remembered it” ; “might have remembered it, the compass”. Also shows willingness
to please with simple sentence questions.

13. On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl
AO1 - Chance & circumstance
• Author shows reader that we might pass our ideal partner in the streets, and never act.
The purpose of the reflective narration explored the randomness of life, inter mixed
with the “told indifferent waves of fate” which, in the framed story, condemn the pair to
illness and separation.
Power of storytelling
• Story within story shows that its sadness should affect the reader.
• Suggests that we live in a world of perception, imagination & what ifs -> in which
imagination is a source of comfort.
Carpe Diem
• Regret is major emotion – with this whole message behind the narration, to seize
opportunities and no hold regrets. Shown in a single word sentence “forever.” – to
emphasise that they will never meet again.
• About inaction and not being able to face failure.

14. Love and Perfection
• Portrayal of love through naivety – “boy” and “girl”, the immature nouns show that
their love/emotion is young, “as young as they were” explicitly shows naivety.
• Love depicted through reason -> author shows that main character thoughts
continuously conflicts with itself when he approaches the girl, “illustrates that the
man does not let emotions make him do something irrational (like talking to a
stranger and confessing the “100% perfect” attitude she has).
• Love is portrayed through true love – not the love of physical attributes, which is
reoccurring shown in lines 3, 18; which dismisses physical attraction. There is also
no mention of any other attraction which suggests a spontaneous love at first sight
romance for no apparent reason.
• Main character is someone who is actively seeking a relationship to complete their
identity – perhaps they are insecure with themselves, co-dependant. Line 27 is a
mirror image, where the lovers compliment each other like East and West on a
compass.
• Firm belief in love through fate. Shown in his belief in a “cosmic miracle”, also,
within the story he narrates, his belief in fate is so strong, he is willing to wish
never meeting the supposed 100% perfect girl for him.

15. AO2 – Story within story
• Real story contains fairy tale expressed in fairy tale language – “once upon a time…”
suggesting that the encounter was enticing and mystical and gives romanticised ideas,
“when peace filled the world”, which is told in the third person.
• Real story seems to have grounding realism, whereas the second seems to contain more
distant patterns common in a fairy tale, ie: “lovers speak in unison” and “she is the to
east, and she is to the west”. The romance is clichéd and surreal.
• Vivid poetic images are very open to interpretation, ambiguous, “time when peace filled
the world” – hugely romanticised and surreal image.
Senses
• Reoccurring style of Murakami, for example “torches my skin”, “scent of roses”; “mouth
as dry as a desert”. Hyperbolic metaphors to share the intense and vivid emotions with
the reader.
Person/tense
• Use of variety of narrative technique, jumps from account to present, to narration, to
present, which gives the impression the narrator is narrating directly to the reader.
• Informal language used within story which gives impression that the narration is aimed
directly at the reader as a confinement. For example, “now, of course” is a phrase which
makes the story sound like direct conversation.

16. The Darkness Out There
AO1 - Growing up
• Central to story, partly can be seen by the way Sandra talks about the future as she
gets a sense of her adulthood approaching – “would go places, like on a travel
brochure” and “have a little white house peeping over a hill”. The single line
sentence “one day” further shows how high her ambition is. It’s a description of
childhood dreams to travel and live in a house “over a hill”, reveals childish dream.
• Growing up tied in with her perceptions of Kerry when she is instantly judgemental
of “some people you only have to look at to know they’re not up to much” and she
deems him immature for his views on Mr Rutter – which is ironic. “Chasm” shows
the distance of opinion in the two, perhaps the same distance of maturity. “Mum
said boys matured later” her perception of Mr Rutter is wrong as well, she thinks
all old people are “really sweet”. However, she recognises she is wrong in the
penultimate paragraph which tells a vivid moral to the fairy tale.

17. Past
• The past leaves impression in the present. The death of the German bunker has
left a feeling of superstition and ghosts in the woods, shown through “crumbling
rusty scraps of metal and cloth and bones?” and “stumps of spent vegetables” – it
sets the scene for a morbid tone and story.
• More symbolically, represents a darker time IN REALITY of death, and what it can
do to people.
• Mrs Rutter lost her husband, never had children – which results in an act of
irrational retribution. The personification of the garden can be used to describe Mr
Rutter, “matted flower bed”, “shaggy grass” add depth to Mrs Rutter’s personality
– the unpleasant description of the garden is perhaps a metaphor for the
unpleasantness of Mrs Rutter’s personality.
Myth/Fairytale
• Story has echoes of tale and fable, with a clear link to Hansel and Gretel in the old
woman’s cottage near the woods, where she has “dispatched” another child in the
form of the German boy.

18. AO2 – Setting
• Vivid, natural details created a rural, edge-of-town setting “ox-eye daisies” and
within the wood itself – “whippy sapling and brambles” and these “clotted shifting
depths of the place”.
• Gothic, vivid description of the garden, “no-man’s land of willow herb and thistle”
a warfare semantic field is used to give a morbid tone with gothic ideas,
metaphorically relating to the deceased German boy. “Thistle” creates an auditory
image with the harsh sounds of the word to match the coarse feel of the plant.
Imagery
• Darkness of the unknown which has been revealed as something much more real
than the irrational fears of the “witches, wolves and ghosts”.
• This real fear is a “part of you” – the very knowledge of cruelty and evil which is
stuck with you forever.
Narrative
• Reader sees through Sandra’s perceptions which change and development is
parallel, it is 3rd person.
• Mrs Rutter’s account is a framed story within the story.

19. Anil
AO1 – Brutality and corruption
• The casual aggression of Anil’s “weak” father towards Anil’s mother with “bruises” ->
unchallenged due to poverty/gender/culture.
• Village is corrupt where acts remain unchallenged due to fear (“mouse of a man”),
poverty (“dreams”) or ignorance.
• The headman is the symbol of the village who has absolute power, who is seen as
manipulative and more intelligent than the village people.
• When Anil’s father is “bought” with the bribe, it shows education is valued so highly
that justice can be sacrificed. The irony of this is that although Anil is being sent away as
a punishment, he is benefiting from this but he doesn’t want to leave his “Appa”.
Childhood innocence
• Anil’s fear of leaving the hut (shown by rhetoric of “dare he?”, emphasises risk). He has
an irrational childhood fear of ghosts – “suspended into suspense” – frozen in fear.
• Repetition of “if” sentences consecutively show anxiety and innocence of the young
boy.
• Irony of his father telling Anil to be a man, whereas himself is a “mouse of a man”.
• “appaaa…” Childish images of Anil distraught.
• Understands the crime “sin, it buries today”

20. Absence of God
• The absence of God is touched on in the foregrounding of the superstitious orld,
the world of ghosts, which is ultimately less real than human corruption
• The tree did not kill her, but something else more dark, sinister, more real did.
• The star that “shimmered above him” is not a magical wonder and disappears in
the “glare of dawn”.
• Physical realities – father hitting mother, her poor clothes/poverty, hanging of the
woman – dominate.

21. AO2 –
• Long first sentence; reminiscent of the opening of a Hardy novel, posits the village as a
singular entity and one that is parochial, inconsequential and small-minded.
Imagery
• Anil’s father a “timid mouse to the headman”; the hanged woman – symbolically
“dressed in white” suggests innocent and hidden. The family are moulded to serve the
headman, suggests primitive ideas about serving an ‘alpha male’.
• Penultimate paragraph brings together everything – the organic ‘village’ and all it
represents as a community : the cultural reference to the burning pyre, and the
hypocrisy of the grieving Marimuthu. They remain passive to the power of the
headman.
• Short one-sentence paragraphs emphasise Anil’s shock at realising who the
dead woman is: “The woman who had died was his wide”.
Structure
• Conventional: exposition (boy waking at night and description of the village with “little
dreams”); development (boy considering whether to leave the hut); complication (the
witnessing of the hanging); climax (accusation of Marimathu and boy being led off;
resolution (Anil leaving on the train and Marimathu sighing “with relief”) – which
would show how it’s easier to betray and outcast his son than to challenge the
headman.