explorers daughter

para 1

p - the narwals are viewed as magical creatures to be protected

e - ‘spectral play of colour’

a - magical imagery presents the narwals as mythical, almost recalling the sights/sounds we would associate with unicorns

e' - ‘I urged the man on in my head…my heart also urged the narwhal to dive, to leave, to survive’

a - The juxtaposition between ‘head’ and ‘heart’ emphasises that in her soul, Herbert believes the narwhals are precious and need to be protected. The triplet further emphasises the narwhals as beautiful and vibrant creatures.

para 2

P - Kari Herbert presents the arctic as a special and precious place that should be preserved

e - ‘glittering kingdom’

a - metaphor conveys the artic is magical and unique - royal and almost heavenly

e - ‘butter gold… soft billows of smoke’

a - colour imagery, sibilance - conveys its beauty, while the sibilance suggests it is almost lullaby like in the comfort it gives her

para 3

p - despite her love for the narwals, Herbert suggests the hunters need to survive is important. this emphasises her inner conflict

e - ‘essential…survival…necessary…crucial’

a - semantic field of necessity - conveys how important it is to them

e - ‘hunting is still an absolute necessity in thule’

a - short, sharp closing sentence - emphasises that overall she understands the hunters need to survive

top marks mention

· Kari Herbert, as she lived amongst the Inuit communities, displays much more sympathy than we would perhaps expect from other Western communities/perspectives

· However, as a woman that grew up the natural world, she also understands the natural beauty of the world and how that natural beauty should not just be exploited for resources (she is an environmentalist)