Chemistry quotations

Chemistry by Graham Swift, Telling Tales AQA Short Story Anthology

M, g, a I

Mother, grandfather and I

Mother, grandfather and I

• Shows the stability of the trio

• Past tense used throughout the start of the story to reflect the time when the family was settled

S a M m R … t m c

Soon after Mother met Ralph … the motor cut

Soon after Mother met Ralph … the motor cut

• Symbolises how Ralph’s introduction into the family has disrupted its stability

• Short sentence ‘the motor cut’ shows abruptness of his entry

Y d m c a

You don’t make curry anymore

You don’t make curry anymore

• Shows family conflict

• Mother neglecting grandfather

I f s i h s

I felt safe in his shed

I felt safe in his shed

• The shed is a place of refuge from Ralph

• Shows disconnect and conflict within family, as the shed in the garden feels separate to the house

T h w R n l i t i b a b m w n a m p

The house where Ralph now lorded it, tucking into bigger and bigger meals, was now a menacing place

The house where Ralph now lorded it, tucking into bigger and bigger meals, was now a menacing place

• “Bigger and bigger meals” symbolises how is gaining more power over the family

• “menacing” shows how the boy doesn’t feel secure in his own home

T h b m d

This had become my duty

This had become my duty

• Declarative confirms how the mother has neglected the grandfather

• The boy is being treated by an adult - his mother believes he is responsible for the grandfather

T t a i R f a b

Throw the acid in Ralph’s face at breakfast

Throw the acid in Ralph’s face at breakfast

• Shows childlike naivety as the boy believes destroying Ralph's face would make everything normal again and bring it back to how it was before

• The boy's grief manifests disturbingly

• He doesn't know how to react because he hasn't been parented

H o t, w c h k?

He’s only ten, what can he know?

He’s only ten, what can he know?

• Underestimating her son’s emotional capacity

• Shows disconnect between them