N5 Brooklyn Cop

• “gorilla”


  has connotations of being big, threatening and scary. This suggests that the cop is particularly intimidating and brings fear to those he encounters.
• “Less timid”


  has connotations of being shy, easily scared and suggests that the cop is the opposite of this because the word “less”. Gorillas are known for being timid so if the cop is “less timid” then he must be particularly threatening or fierce.
• “plunge”


  has connotations of diving in deeply or with speed. This suggests that the cop launches into situations and immerses himself in violence, perhaps without considering the consequences.
• “nightstick”

  has connotations of being armed, weaponry or darkness. This suggests that the cop is even more dangerous because he also has violent tools that help him to keep order. This word choice strengthens the gorilla metaphor to make the cop seem worse.
• "victims"


  has connotations of endangered, mistreated or vulnerable people. This suggests that those who encounter the cop are perhaps treated unfairly by him or are forced to commit crime due to their circumstances so deserve our sympathy.
• "built like a gorilla"


  just as a gorilla is fierce, powerful and unpredictable, so too the cop is big and tough. This suggests that the cop is very physical, threatening and may be difficult to read.
• "two hieroglyphs on his face mean/trouble"


  just as hieroglyphs are characters from an ancient Egyptian language, so too is the cops eyes are like a strange language we cant read.
• "the thin tissue over violence"

  just as a tissue is made of thin material and can be easily ripped, so too the violence on the streets could break out at any moment without warning. This suggests that the cop has a difficult job because the streets of NYC are dangerous and violence happens often.
• "he hoped it, he truly hoped it"


  repetition emphasises the genuine fear the cop has that he wont survive the day, highlighting the dangerous nature of his job.
• "whose home is a place/ he might, this time, never get back to?"


  parenthesis of 'this time' makes the phrase stand out and reminds the reader again how much danger the cop is in as he goes in about his job. He could easily get killed or hurt.
• "and who would be who have to be/his victims?"


  rhetorical question invites the reader to consider the irony of the situation and how the cop who is supposed to be enforcing laws uses violence against criminals who may only be committing crimes because they live in poverty and have no other option. It questions how civilised our society really is.
• "and who would be who have to be/his victims?"


  repetition of 'be' emphasises how the violence surrounding the cop seems to be inevitable.