Notes for First Trip.doc

Notes for”First Trip” by Altin Walsh 1913

Question 1. Setting

a) What does the condition of tennis ball ans the tennis racket tell us about the place the boy is staying in? (ll.4-5)

The ball is moth-eaten and the tennis racket is old. This indicates the poor economical conditions of the place, at which the boy is staying. Moreover, it can symbolize the fact that people living at this place do not necessarily like sports or are interested in them enough to buy new, not destroyed equipment.

b) Poplar trees are usually tall and thin and are usually planted in straight lines. How does that make them an appropriate choice (by the writer) as the part of the scenery? (Sydenham is a London suburb) (l.8)

The choice of the poplar trees is an appropriate choice, because then they put a border between the villa and the rest of the world. This creates a feeling of isolation, which contributes to the feelings of the boy.

c) What is there about the grass as described in these lines which adds to the boy’s fear? Can you see a connection with l. 17? (ll. 41-42)

The grass is describes as “sharp knives” and “Harsh spears of grass”. It adds to the boys fear because the grass appears to be dangerous and it looks almost as if the grass wants to hurt the boy.
L. 17 is an indication of the grass as a murderer of the boy.

d) What effect on the passage does this second mention of the insects have? (ll. 43-44)

The way in which the insects are described adds to the feeling of helplessness and the feeling of being trapped. Likewise, it adds to the threatening environment/situation the boy is at. 

Question 2. Characters

a) “I hated to be dependent on other people. They would never want to do what I wanted to do” (ll. 3-4). Which of these two sentences reveal more about the boy’s character?

Both of the sentences reveal a lot about boy’s character, however the fact that he hates to be dependent on other people shows more about his persona, because it can be said that the boy perceives himself as independent. However, the second sentence shows that he thinks that he is the center of the world and therefore people should do what he decides. 

b) Which two words in this paragraph might lead us to describe the boy as spoiled? (ll. 6-9)

The fact that the boy is spoiled is shown by the phrase “until I was too hot and unhappy”, because it meant that he only did certain things as long as he found them enjoyable. Likewise, he explicitly states the “European villa” which shows the way in which he wants his status to be perceived.

c) In the last sentence of this paragraph the boy tries to persuade himself that he is not doing anything wrong. Which word earlier in the paragraph show that he does in fact know that he should not be going off by himself? (ll. 10-13)

The word “quickly” indicates that he knew that his action was in fact not allowed, because it indicates that he had to sneak out.

Question 3. Action

a) What elements of conflict - things likely to force a development in the situation - are present in the opening four paragraphs? (ll. 1-13)

The fact that the boy is spoiled and that he does not want to be dependent on anyone despite his age.

Deliberate description 

b) How does the writer build up the suspense for the reader? (ll. 23-28)

The writer builds up the suspense by letting the reader grow into understanding with the boy and also by exaggerating some facts and by usage of metaphors to create mental images and therefore create vivid images.

Question 4. Style

a) What details in the writer’s description of the landscape indicate that it has a life of its own, and that it is rather threatening? (ll. 14-18)

The uses personifications to create a feeling of the living nature - also many adjectives and properties are added to the landscape and it creates a sense of life. The negative words such as “spears” show that the landscape with the will on its own is rather threatening.

b) The phrase “tinged with horror” suggests that in the boy’s eyes even the ..... Of the scenery has changed. (l. 35)

Appearance of the scenery 

c) What is there about those sentences that emphasizes the boy’s panic. (ll. 36-38)

The sentence structure is rather short and the syntax is kept short and simple which is a clear indicator of panic and fear. 

Question 5. Ideas

Which of the following ideas underlie this piece of narrative?

- adolescent rebelliousness

- Rationalization (finding “reasons” to support questionable behavior)

- the gap between cultures

- the unexpectedness of things

All of the above can underlie this piece of narrative, since all of the ideas listed above have an influence of the story / take an active part in the story, however if rated on the importance of the ideas, the adolescent rebelliousness and the unexpectedness of things would be the ones that are very evident in the text.

The gap between the cultures and the rationalization are also important however they are presented as the subtopics, because this is not what the text is all about. The other two ideas are the main ideas when looked from the plot’s side as well as from the character development’s side.