, ENG2602
Question 2
In the extract from Shubnum Khan’s Onion Tears, the literary features of the text
function to depict emotional pain through the protagonist Summaya’s thoughts.
Through the use of imagery, repetition, and metaphor, the passage conveys the
theme of the persistence of emotional pain and its impact on an individual’s
psyche.
The opening sentence sets the tone for the extract: “The bank manager was
taking too long and Summaya was becoming impatient” (13). This sentence
creates a sense of frustration and impatience within Summaya. The sentence
structure, with a long subject and a short predicate, reflects Summaya’s
preoccupation with time. The sentence’s brevity and shortness emphasize the
tension building within Summaya as she waits. Her impatience borders on anxiety
and portrays another instance of emotional pain.
In the extract from Onion Tears by Shubnum Khan, the plot centres around
Summaya, who is struggling with emotional pain and the secrets in her family.
The events that make up the extract are Summaya’s attempts to come to terms
with her mother’s death and the subsequent discovery of a box of letters from
her mother to an unknown person.
The contrast between the thoughts in Summaya’s mind accentuates the theme of
emotional pain. On one hand, she imagines light-hearted and amusing scenarios.
For instance, Summaya thinks of “what the old man in the blue tie would do if she
climbed up on the little deposit-slip table and started doing her rendition of Rani
Mukherjee’s Kutch Kutch Hota Hai” (13). This thought acknowledges Summaya’s
playful nature, and her ability to forget her surroundings. On the other hand, her
thoughts shifts to darker themes like the “real things” that hurt her and make her
want to “sweep them aside” (13). The shift in Summaya’s thoughts demonstrates
Question 2
In the extract from Shubnum Khan’s Onion Tears, the literary features of the text
function to depict emotional pain through the protagonist Summaya’s thoughts.
Through the use of imagery, repetition, and metaphor, the passage conveys the
theme of the persistence of emotional pain and its impact on an individual’s
psyche.
The opening sentence sets the tone for the extract: “The bank manager was
taking too long and Summaya was becoming impatient” (13). This sentence
creates a sense of frustration and impatience within Summaya. The sentence
structure, with a long subject and a short predicate, reflects Summaya’s
preoccupation with time. The sentence’s brevity and shortness emphasize the
tension building within Summaya as she waits. Her impatience borders on anxiety
and portrays another instance of emotional pain.
In the extract from Onion Tears by Shubnum Khan, the plot centres around
Summaya, who is struggling with emotional pain and the secrets in her family.
The events that make up the extract are Summaya’s attempts to come to terms
with her mother’s death and the subsequent discovery of a box of letters from
her mother to an unknown person.
The contrast between the thoughts in Summaya’s mind accentuates the theme of
emotional pain. On one hand, she imagines light-hearted and amusing scenarios.
For instance, Summaya thinks of “what the old man in the blue tie would do if she
climbed up on the little deposit-slip table and started doing her rendition of Rani
Mukherjee’s Kutch Kutch Hota Hai” (13). This thought acknowledges Summaya’s
playful nature, and her ability to forget her surroundings. On the other hand, her
thoughts shifts to darker themes like the “real things” that hurt her and make her
want to “sweep them aside” (13). The shift in Summaya’s thoughts demonstrates
