A journey into Bhutan

“again and again”

Repetition: Conveys the repetitive nature of her surroundings.

“Bhutan is all and only mountains”

Hyperbole: Conveys her total dismissal of the landscape.

“a giant child gathering earth in great armfuls”

Extended metaphor: The image of a child suggests clumsiness and lack of refinement in the construction.

“It is my first night in Thimphu”

Present tense: Draws the reader into her journey and immediate experience.

“from Toronto to Montreal to Amsterdam to New Delhi to Calcutta to Paro.”

Polysyndetic list: Emphasises the distance travelled and Bhutan’s remoteness.

“on the other side of mountains are mountains, more mountains and mountains again.”

Repetition: Develops her dissatisfaction with the monotonous landscape.

“the edge of a frozen desert”

Metaphor: “Desert” suggests barrenness and hostility.

“thin and dry and very cold”

Tricolon of unpleasant adjectives: Culminates in “very cold”, reflecting her emotional response to Bhutan.

“breakfast of instant coffee, powdered milk, plasticky white bread and flavourless red jam”

Pattern of imagery: Emphasises blandness and discomfort through negative adjectives.

“ringing laughter” / “impish smile”

Metaphor: Highlights exuberant joy, contrasting with Zeppa’s alienation.

“all over Europe and northern Africa”

Hyperbole: Shows how experienced the others are compared to Zeppa.

“ecstatic”

Powerful adjective: With religious connotations, conveys overwhelming happiness.

“incomprehensible but graceful hand gestures”

Juxtaposition: Balances confusion with appreciation.

“selling the same things”

Repetition: Reinforces dissatisfaction with monotony.

“teenagers in acid washed jeans … a Rambo poster in a bar”

Pattern of Western imagery: Shows Bhutan is more westernised than expected.

“these signs of cultural infiltration are few”

Metaphor: Suggests Western influence as invasive or aggressive.

“cracked” / “faded”

Adjectives: Connote decay and disappointment.

“Thimphu is actually new.”

Short, simple sentence: Expresses surprise and bafflement.

“a grand, whitewashed, red-roofed, golden-tipped fortress.”

Vivid chromatic imagery: Suggests opulence, marking the beginning of admiration.

“Thimphu will never look like New York to me.”

Juxtaposition: Either dismisses Thimphu or values its difference from Western cities.

“best built race”

Superlative adjective: Emphasises the extent of her praise.

“beautiful aristocratic faces with dark, almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones and gentle smiles”

List of positive adjectives: Suggests abundance of beauty.

“kira” / “gho”

Use of Bhutanese lexis: Shows growing familiarity and respect.

“People look at us curiously”

Adverb: Indicates the Westerners are the outsiders.

“dignity, unselfconsciousness, good humour, grace”

List of abstract nouns: Shows admiration has moved from appearance to inner virtues.

“but can find no single word to hold all of my impressions”

Inexpressibility topos: Her admiration defies language.

“Rainbow District of Desires … the Land of Longing and Silver Pines”

Evocative place names: Natural imagery conveys beauty and mysticism.

“overrun by Europeans” / “handful of Westerners”

Contrast: Highlights Bhutan’s protected and sacrosanct status.

“hand his back slapped, his hair pulled, and his face rubbed with wet dough”

Humorous imagery: Childish conflict suggests embarrassment.

“I am full of admiration for this small country that has managed to look after itself so well”

Structural ending: Concluding statement shows the journey from scepticism to admiration.