Updated A Passage to Africa

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"hungry, lean, scared and betrayed"

Accumulation of adjectives: Emphasises horror and suffering of people during Somalian famine

hungry, lean, scared are all visceral, bodily and instinctive conditions

betray (is a moral state) which connotes a violation of an implicit moral contract. So by ending the tetrachcolon on betrayed, Alagiah emphasises that a grave immoral act has been committed to them, so they are left abandoned and neglected

it reframes the suffering of these people not to nature (famine), but to human resposnability, which engages the reader’s sense of and appeals to their sympathy responsibility but is also shocking.

hungry and lean is paired

"a thousand" / "one"

Juxtaposition: "thousand" and "one" - there were masses he didn't see as individuals - indicating how he had been numbed until seeing this one man's smile

thousand suggests scale, anonymity and abstraction. It suggest that the face blur into collective memory of sufferings they are reduced to abstractions representing the suffering.

One marks a pivot in the passage. By isolating one face Alagaih rehumanises the suffering, recognising individuality and agency

This engages the reader as the wonder why the face is unique. It

reframes the famine to personal tragedy, proviking sympathy and resposability.

'Take the Badale Road for a few kilometres till the end of the tarmac, turn right on to a dirt track, stay on it for about forty-five minutes..."

List of directions: Shows how remote village is - therefore far from help, thus reinforcing the theme of abandonment.

the length of the journey builds anticipation and suspense - the reader wonders what kind of suffering awaits Alagiah

"like a ghost village"

Simile: Suggesting that people living there were as good as dead, already given up hope

ghost is some sort of deceased being that lingers after death

by calling it a ghost village the inhabitants are already half dead existing in a state between life and death

it implies that the peopel are spectral, perhaps even overlooked and no longer treated as fully human. They are neglected by society.

it builds suspense as it emphasises / foreshadow the suffering Alagiah is about to witness and provokes sympathy as reader question why these people have been left to fade into ghosts

"journalists on the hunt"

Metaphor: Predatorial, unsympathetic nature of the journalists

hunt suggests agression, persuit. it frames journaist as predators, and at the same time that they dehumises the villagers as prey. Reduces the villagers from human beings with dignity to objects of pursit - only to be shown on frontpages to attract readerws.

journalist connote truth, integrity and raising awareness

the fact that such a noble profession is reduced to something animalistic and explitatuive shock the reader

exposes the moral corruption of journalism when suffering becomes a commodity for shocking images

provokes sympathy from eader, unsettles them forcing them to question the ethics of consuming such reports

"might have appalled us when we'd started our trip just a few days before no longer impressed us much."

Contrast between verbs: "appalled" and "no longer impressed us" - shift in response to famine (from horror to apathy) demonstrates the numbing effect of journalism

appalled connotes shock, or something horrifying has happened.

impressed connotes admiration, awe or something extraordinary in a positive sense

but impressed to describe suffering is deeply inappropriate. It reveals how desensitised the journalists are - treating suffering as a spectacle than tragedy.

this unsettles the reader and provokes sumpath for victims and perhaps provoke guilt for voyerurisitc consumption of suffering

"like the craving of a drug"

Simile: Highlights developing resistance to the trauma

craving connotes a powerful, almost uncontrollable desire

suggest journalists develop dependency on increasiungly extreme images

drug is addictive but harmful - by comparing shcoking image to drug, Alagiah hilights the corrosive effect of repeated exposure to suffering

it unsettles the reader because it shcockingly suggests that trauma becomes commodified, reduced to spectacles being consumed by editors and because such extreme suffering is not anyone would like to see

craving suggest pleasure

"So move people in their sitting rooms back home"

Cynical tone: Implicitly criticises armchair-activism of Western news-consumers

sitting room connotes comfort, passivity and lack of action

while move connotes action

this creates an irony of suffering in Somalia provoking feelings but not action - highlights western empathy as hollow

thus making the reader question the nature of their empathy

passive spectatorship, vs suffering of people

"Habiba was ten years old and her sister, Ayaan, was nine"

Name and Age: humanises them, emphasising their youthful innocence, making their death horrific and unexpected.

reader expects children to be most protected, so their suffering feels especially horrific and unjust

it makes their suffering more real and real, which collapses the distance between 'TV suffering’ and ‘real people’

for stronger emotion from the reader

Alagiah feels pity but not enough for him to act

"Habiba had died"

Short blunt undescriptive sentence + Unemotional tone: Desensitisation of death (for locals and journalists alike)

reflects his dissatisfaction to death

brevity mirror suddenness of death

also, the matter-of-fact register reduces Habbib’s death to just another fact or line in a report, which takes away her humanity - without a life and personality

shocks the reader becuase famine normalises the most horrific losses

"deliverance"

Religious image of salvation: "Deliverance" - with death preferrable to the state of "half-life", this spiritual liberation is associated with salvation.

in Christian langauge deliverance meanes saved from death or evil. Here it is inverted, which implies that death is better than the suffering highlights the extremity of suffering that she is in.

This makes it shocking because the irony unsettles the reader

death presented as a kind of liberation

sensational langauage

he feel sympathy but not moved to care , langauge is sensational

"old woman"

Contrasts Habiba: Both youth and age are sources of PATHOS - both are vulnerable, deserving protection that they lack.

these are poeple who we expect to be cared for and protected - show how famine strip away care for those society instinctively wants to shield

shock + unsettling

"The smell that drew me to her doorway; the smell of decaying flesh."

Olfactory imagery: A smell generating disgust, instead drawing Alagiah to door - emphasising "ghoulish" and voyeuristic nature of journalism.

decay connotes death, rot and repulsion - people will normally avoid this smell

so Alagiah’s contradictory action is shocking because it suggests how much journalism can turn horror into spectacle

"took revenge on whoever it found in its way"

Relative pronoun: "Whoever" suggesting an indiscriminate violence, carelessness of the suffering caused

this is morally unsettling for the reader, because even innocent civilians are killed

"It was rotting; she was rotting."

Syntactical parallelism: Demonstrates / MIRRORS progression of infection: moving beyond the wound and infecting herself.

In the 2nd clause Alagiah replaces ‘it’, whith ‘she’ By equating the woman with her wound, Alagiah suggests that her identiy is reduced to the rot itself , as if she is no longer seperate from her suffering - she has been taken / consumed over by her suffering

blunt repetition = shocking because the parallel structure forces reader to confront the idea that he entire body is suffering, make it even more horrific

• Pathos: The reduction of a human life to a decaying body evokes pity and revulsion simultaneously.

rotting connotes decay - associated with dead thing, but she is still alive

"And then there was the face I will never forget."

Single sentence paragraph: As a structural, dramatic turning point, this subverts the established pattern / expectation that the third face would be more revolting and gruesome.

it builds suspense and tension, as the reader wonders if the reason behind the memorable face is becuase itis even more grusome and expect something profound

contrasts with thousand face —> something so memorable and unusual about it

"pity and revulsion"

Juxtaposition: Suggesting inherent tension in confronting bodily horror - cannot be mere sympathy

pity = sympathy, care , comapssion. Subtly hierarchy - might imply people are ‘below’ u

revulsion connote disgust loathing

inappropriate because the people are victims of abandonment

suprising to the reader as it hilights the tension of confronting such suffering, and they might also expect pity not revulsion

"Yes, evils of hunger and disease"

Personification: Vampiric / predatory "hunger and disease" sucking vitality from the body; people of Somalia troubled by these evils

implies forceful removal

evil likens the 2 to somekind of supernatrual, force

it highlights how hunger and disease is all powerful in Somalia

this is shocking because in Western society, we expect these 2 to be eradicated so it shocking that the cause of suffering is from these 2, which the west see as preventable

perhaps highlight global inequality

"hear and smell the excretion of fluids"

Auditory + olfactory imagery: Focusing on sensual impact, affecting him viscerally and physiologically, as opposed to psychologically.

excretion evokes feeling of repulsion as it connotes filth and disgust

Together, these senses bypass intellectual distance and hit the reader viscerally, forcing them to imagine the physical reality, because they are bodily and immediate

"surreptitiously"

Adverb: Indicating his guilt; he ought to be more sympathetic, but his natural instincts kick in

suggest he is hiding his instincitve reaction, aware that it is inappropriate and shameful

shocks the reader because it reveals the journalists humanity in a sublet and unexpected way - as it suggest Alagiah isn’t immunie to embarrassment despite his apathy

"wipe your hands"

Second person: The reader would do the same

"Utter despair" / "Dignity"

Contrast: Conveys the paradox of human endurance and the desire to retain self-worth amongst a state of decay

utter connotes absolute

despair connotes the complete loss of hope, which implies inedibility

dignity denotes being in a state worthy of respect, this implying their refusal to be dehumanised

it is remarkable because they are treated as half dead - quite surprising as we expect despair to erase dignity forcing us to admire their humanity

• Shock to Western readers: In societies where dignity is assumed, it is striking to see people fighting for it amidst famine and abandonment.

• Emotional tension: The juxtaposition of despair (absence of hope) and dignity (assertion of worth) creates a powerful, memorable image of resilience.

"only a few seconds" / "brief moments"

Pattern of images suggesting brevity: Contrast between brevity and impact of encounter, suggesting the power of the tiniest of gestures to alter perception.

brevity of the moment contrasts with the lasting memory it leaves in Alagiah, showing how transient experineces can carve permanent marks

Alagiah’s perception is profoundly altered, despite the brevity of the encounter, thus emphasising the extraordinary power/ weight / impact of that encounter

the reader is suprised because such a short encounter leaves such a profound impression, and they wonder what was so special about that moment

"it touched me in a way I could not explain"

Inexpressibility Topos: Emotion so profound that it cannot be expressed through language.

invites the reader to imagine the missing emotional depth themselves

Contrast with journalism: As a reporter, Alagiah’s job is to explain and describe. His failure here highlights the extraordinary power of the encounter, breaking through professional detachment.

"beyond pity or revulsion"

Structural callback to earlier phrase: Suggesting development of his feelings - from basic pity and repulsion to something more complex

it intrestes the reader because beyond suggests something more profound, but does not reveal it yet

it is also a sense of emotional breakthrough because despite his prevois apathy, now he is feeling an emotion that he cant explain suggest that this enounter pierces through his detachment

and as jouranlist he is mean to explain but even he can’t, which highlights the intenseness and complexity of the feeling

"What was it about that smile?"

Rhetorical question: Highlights his confusion and uncertainty over why he responded the way he did.

"And then it clicked. That's what the smile had been about"

Short simple sentences: Highlight his newfound clarity

also memetic of the suddenness of his realisation

shift in tone from confusion to clarity

the phrasing is colloquial, create intimacy with reader as if they are inside his though process

the delayed explaniation build suspension

the short simple sentence disrupts the previous complex sentence - mimics his own shock. it invites the reader to reflect on why such a small gesture carries such prfound meaning

"You might give if you felt you..."

Shift to second person: Universalises and humanises his reaction

"Normally inured to stories" / "Unsettled by this one smile"

Contrast: Highlighting that this singular / inconsequential event broke through his "ghoulish" journalistic numbness

hilghlights the extraordinary power/ weight / impact of that encounter, because Alagiah had seen so much suffering, but he still becomes not numbed

it is also striking because he is not another scene of horror that strikes him but a fleeting guesture of humanity

it also marks a turnning point hilighting emotional development and deepening engagement

inuered deonteos numbness and loss of sensitivity

• “the journalist and his subject”

Opposition between the two: Established hierarchy / power dynamics / asymmetry of observer and observed

connote connotes animals that are being experimented, and is inferior therefore acceptatble to expeirment on rather than being treated as human

dehumanising - stripp away any dingity and individuality for the world to observe

unsettled dennotes distruebd, shaken and connotes breaking stability ( his sensitivity)

suggests power imablance

numbeness and detachment as human suffering is something to be studied

"The journalist observes, the subject is observed. The journalist is active, the subject is passive."

Verb "observed": Has several suggestions - wildlife, scientific experiment, etc. - none of which illustrate common humanity but instead suggest detachment and curiosity

"If he was embarrassed to be found weakened by hunger and ground down by conflict, how should I feel to be standing there so strong and confident?"

Rhetorical question: Forced into self-scrutiny and interrogation - humble and self-reproachful tone

Contrast: "weakened" and "strong" emphasises inequality of circumstances, and insensitivity of Alagiah's flaunting of his strength

"I resolved"

First person active verb: Marking a shift in tone - from self-reproach to decisiveness and purpose

resolve suggest determination, firmness, and decisiveness.

before he admits to being hardened, passive and distanced

now he moves from passive observer to active moral agent

also now it is driven by dignity and moral responsibility, no longer a for ‘shocking images’

"there and then"

Deixis: Suggests immediacy - power of smile changes his mission on the spot

"all the power and purpose"

Plosive sounds: Shows confidence - highlights his newfound, purposeful resolve

plosive sound create a punchy and forceful rythm

they mimic strength and confidence of Alagiah’s newfound resolve

reenforce his sense of determination, making his vow feel decisive and powerful

"and still does"

Shift in tense: Past to present - enduring resolution which hasn't changed in the years in between

shows his conviction has not changed

suggests the ethical r responsibility of the journalist to tell story truthfully and powerfully is enduring not situational

Contrast: Earlier he admits to numbness and detachment, but here he asserts a lasting resolve, showing growth and permanence.

it is surprising for the reader because Alagiah who admits to being numbed to such an extreme extent by relentless suffering has a sudden and lasting determination

a journalist hardened by horror can be jolted into moral clarity, elevating the moment from fleeting emotion to a principle that still guides him

"Facts and figures are the easy part of journalism. Knowing where they sit in the great scheme of things is much harder"

Contrast: Data - his earlier approach to journalism VS the metaphor of "great scheme of things" suggesting a greater cosmic order. A universal appreciation of humanity rather than hunting for statistics

great scheme of things suggests something vast, grand and beyond the immediate details

u need emotional insight to be able to do that

elevates journalism from technical reporting to moral story telling

engages the reader by suggesting that true challlenge is intepreting facts within the wider human context

"I owe you one"

Colloquial idiom: Consciously deconstructs the formality and distance, mimetic of how he moves away from a statistical method of journalism to a humane one.

Addressing the man as "you": Not simply as a face, calling him a "friend" - more personal / sympathetic journalism.

they will shroud his corpse, as if he means to go out and till the soil once all this is over.

should the corpse suggest respect

the hoe is symbolic and represents his labour, toils and work - something that gives him worth and purpose

but corpse cannot till soil, so it hilights be gap between aspiration and reality

• Distance / mediation: The need for a translator highlights the gap between journalist and subject — linguistic, cultural, and experiential. It reinforces the sense of detachment and the imbalance of power (he must rely on someone else to access the man’s voice)

• Urgency: The verb “urged” conveys impatience and intensity, showing how deeply Alagiah needed to understand the smile. This contrasts with his earlier numbness and passiveness, signalling emotional breakthrough.

• Irony: Despite the barrier of language, the smile had already communicated something profound without words. Despite the translator’s explenation unlocking the meaning behind the smile, his numbess has already been shattered bty the smile. Highlights the power of humanity and compassion - it is universal and does not require words

• Reader effect: The mediation through translation reminds us of journalism’s limitations: even when facts are conveyed, something essential may be lost. Yet the smile transcends those limits, engaging the reader by showing that human dignity can communicate across barriers, which may be quite supprising.

• Structural role: This moment bridges the passage — moving from detached observation to personal engagement. The translator’s role underscores the shift from “facts and figures” to human connection

putrid

plosive - sense of disgust