Critical Essay - Theme

• "People began to think of the telegram as a strange missile pointer at them from abroad "(1) P-1,Q-1


  This metaphor compares the telegram to a weapon. This vivid image effectively conveys how destructive the telegram can be. It comes into their lives, homes and village and destroys their way of life. Just as a missile is a weapon designed to cause great harm so too does this piece of yellow paper destroy lives. Although the village is safe from the threat of war, they are unable to escape from its repercussions.
• "People began to think of the telegram as a strange missile pointer at them from abroad "(2) P-1,Q-1


  The word choice of "strange" suggests that this war is unusual and indescribable for the families of the village. Something is not compatible with their normal, peaceful way of life. This powerful description creates the impression that this singular, little piece of paper can cause extreme harm to this small unnamed village and the people in it.
• "Two houses to go. They looked at each other wildly. It must be one of them. Surely." P-2,Q-1


  This series of short sentences reflect the characters mounting anticipation, anxiety and fear. The sequences of rapid thoughts creates a sense of tension and urgency for the reader.
• "Whatever plague he was bringing" P-2,Q-2

  The elder is described as bringing a "plague" into the lives of the two women. This metaphor compares war to a disease epidemic. Just as a plague is a contagious disease which usually causes widespread death so too is the war causing death for a large number of families in the village. It gives the illusion of spreading through the village and failing to leave a family untouched.
• "Clad in black"P-2,Q-3

  The elder who makes his way through the village with the telegram is described as "clad in black" this gives the impression that he is like the Grim Reaper delivering news of death and despair. This vivid description shows the reader just how much the women dread seeing the telegram carried by the village elder and how much they fear for their lives.
• "She felt the arm of the thin women around her shoulder, the thin arm and it was like a first love" (1) P-3,Q-1

  This is the turning point in the story, as the Thin Woman and the Fat Woman are brought together. The war has forced them to become a community so that they can survive the horrors they are facing. This simile compares the Thin Woman’s sympathetic gesture to the Fat Woman’s memories of love, drawing attention to the comfort it brough her. The Thin Woman’s sense of humanity surpasses any ill-feelings she has towards the Fat Woman.
• "She felt the arm of the thin women around her shoulder, the thin arm and

  it was like a first love" (2) P-3,Q-1


  Despite the cruelty that has been shown to the Thin Woman she can show empathy towards the Fat Woman. Repetition of the phrase “she saw” as the Fat Woman becomes aware of all the Thin Woman has sacrificed and suffered. Similarity, the moment when the Fat Woman seems certain the Thin Womans son has died, all her resentment and petty grievance disintegrates. She experiences a profound moment of empathy for her neighbor. This strips away all her layers of prejudice and intolerance.
• "She felt the arm of the thin women around her shoulder, the thin arm and it was like a first love" (3) P-3,Q-1


  This turning point shows how deeply war has impacted the village and its inhabitants. It has brough these two women together, despite their differences and dislike for one another. 
• "His walk through the village was a somnambulistic wandering." P-4,Q-1


  The elder is in such a daze, consumed by his own thoughts about the loss of his son, that he appears to be sleep-walking. He is no longer truly there, the loss he has experienced has left him the shell of the man he once was. The reader’s final image of the war is a man who has been broken by it. Crichton Smith’s description creates a very powerful image of the grief and heartbreak that the war has on people and the impact that losing a loved one might have. Losing his son has deeply affected the elder's life.