Maiden Voyage by Denton Welch Essay

This passage from first Voyage by Denton Welch is an account of an adventurous European son in China who wishes to call fork the opposite kitchen-gardenings and experience the extraordinary. Yet he is overwhelmed by the barbarity of the natural culture and this reveals to the reader the unexpectedness of life from the boys perspective. Through the first person narrative and detailed descriptions of the events, various base of operationss such as teen rebelliousness, faulting sur rhythm methoded by different cultures and our limited knowledge is highlighted with different literary features such as contrast, colour imagery and metaphor.From the very beginning, the juxtaposition between the inwardly and the issueside of the European villa accentuates the differences between 2 cultures. Inside the villa, where the foreigners live, seems to be more se bastarde and settled as reflected by the reference to the changeless doors. The boys observation of the signs of cultivation also hints the civilised European culture inside the walls. This perhaps links to Mr pantrymans comment that foreigners are non very general and deal surfaceside and foreigners have separate communities. The main(prenominal) character utilise moth eaten balls and the old tennis racket shows that young tidy sum uniform himself utilize to stay at the villa, just now not for long periods of time it is where people dont appreciate the intellections of the young. As the plot develops, the change in the setting is emphatic by imagery.Words such as a sable soil and a dark boulder are colour imageries used to omen the unfavourable and unexpected event. Outside of the European villa, the human head that the boy has found implies that the culture break finishedside is in a way, barbaric. This is supported by cruel images such as odd white teeth s as well asd up deal ninepins in its dark, gaping m verbotenh, its cheeks and shrivelled lips were plastered sour with dried bl ood. These images not only highlight the unfortunate and unexpected events, but also give emphasis on difference between the two cultures. The boys fear and realisation of the hostility between cultures are conveyed from the head is draw through imagery. Tall identify grass grew was change and sharp as knives. Also the second mention of the insects reminds the boy of the head, causing the boy to tactile property more fearful.Through the main character, the author explores various themes of maturityand our knowingness of different cultures. Readers are able to observe that the main character seems to be a boy, from him p graveling tennis. It is shown that he is an adventurous person as he is longing to explore. He hates to be dependent on another(prenominal) people and says they would never want to do what I want to do- highlighting the theme of teenage rebelliousness and his desire to be independent.His unhappiness and dissatisfaction with his quiet lifestyle is suggested when He hits the balls ferociously against the stable doors. The boy ascertains imprisoned in a European villa and a line of poplars the orderly line of poplar implies the structured and formal environment of the villa. For the boy, even the straight line of poplars is a sign of restriction and imprisonment. . As an act of rebellion, he does not want to listen to the elders, but carries out what he believes to be right, without rational thinking about the consequences. .From the action of the main character, the author highlights the themes of teenage rebelliousness, difference between two cultures and acceptance of a different culture. In the line, he let himself quickly out of the patronage gate, the back gate has an implication that it was done in secret. This once again reinforces the theme of teenage rebelliousness as this action was disapproved by Mr Butler and Mr Roote the adults. patronage his rebellious nature, however, his immaturity and lack of knowledge are evident in his initial response to finding the head.The rather nave observation of the head, I saw that the object was not mysterious but pink shows that he was not able to identify what he was seeing highlighting the boys nescience of other cultures. This colour imagery used to describe the head, helps the reader submit the situation, and senses the calamity that the boy feels. The line he stared at it stupidly until his numbed sensescan be see as him being stupid and numb in the understanding of other cultures. When he finally finds out that it was a human head, he jumps backwith horror and terror. Such shock from the discovery of a new culture highlights the unexpectedness of some events in life.The boys panic is emphasized through metaphors and diction in the passage. The first cur barked as a sound imagery, contributes to the fast-flowing and panicking situation where the boy is running absent(predicate) from the head. Also, thewall is a metaphor for the separation between the two cult ures. The rangy rank grass that is dry and sharp as knives, shows that one culture is almost trying to repel the people from another. Also, knives are an image that conveys inclemency and hostility between the two cultures. The boys horrified action and shock contributes not only to the differences of two cultures but also the lack of endeavour to persist these differences.In the passage from Maiden Voyage, various themes such as expectations from different cultures, teenage rebelliousness and our limited knowledge are explored though a European boys horrifying experience. These themes are supported by a vicissitude of literary features such as colour imagery, metaphor and contrast. The authors message that people should try to accept and understand other cultures is conveyed in the passage through highlighting these main themes.Text -Foreigners are not very prevalent here, Mr Butler told me at breakfast. So I dont think you ought to go out alone.My heart sank. I hated to be de pendent on other people. They would never want to do what I wanted to do. I began to feel imprisoned. I took up the moth-eaten balls and the old tennis racket which were lie in the hall, and went into the garden.I hit the balls fiercely against the stable doors until I was too hot and unhappy to go on. I sat brooding on the steps. I might have been in Sydenham for all I could see a European villa and a line of poplars yet outside lay a Chinese city which I was longing to explore.After dejeuner I decided that I could stand it no longer. Mr Butler and Mr Roote were politic deep in their mornings discussion, so I let myself quickly out of the back gate and walked along the sandy lane which led into the country. Mr Butler could not mind my walking in the country, I thought.Everything was still and silent, in an early-afternoon torpor. The only sound came from the stunted bushes which squeaked and grated linguistically as the wind passed through them. Pillars and scarves of dust and sand rose up from the ground, eddying and swirling themselves into flat sheets which hoveredin the air. acidulous spears of grass stuck up through the sand. The soles of my clothe began to burn and I looked round vainly for some shady place. I enjoyed the dreamlike stillness and wanted to stay out for as long as possible. I thought that if I walked on I might find a place. The pathway led towards the hills. Across the sandy plain the city walls stood up like cliffs. Turrets and bastions were ruined cottages, crumbling into the sea.I walked on, fixing my eyes on a char speck some way in front of me. I wondered if it could be a cat crouching in the middle of the road or perhaps it was a dark boulder.As I drew nearer, a haze of flies suddenly lifted, and I saw that the object was not black but pink. The loathsome flies hovered angrily above it, buzzing like dynamos. I bent my head down to see what it was. I stared at it stupidly until my numbed senses suddenly awoke again. Then I jumped back, my throat quite dry and my stomach churning.The thing was a human head. The nose and eyes had been eaten away and the black hair was caked and grey with dust. Odd white teeth stood up like ninepins in its dark, gaping mouth. Its cheeks and shrivelled lips were plastered black with dried blood, and I saw long coarse hairs growing out of its ears.Because it was so terrible, my eyes had to return to it whenever I looked away. I stared into its raw eye-sockets until waves of unhealthiness spread over me. Then I ran. The whole plain and the nude hills had suddenly become tinged with horror.I found myself between high banks. I would soon be coming to a village. in that respect were signs of cultivation. When the first cur barked, I turned and ran back the way I had come. I did not know what to do. I would have to pass the head again.I tested to avoid it by making for the city walls across the pathless sand. My feet sank in, and my shoes became full and heavy. My only idea was to getback to the house.Tall rank grass grew in the shadow of the wall. It was dry and sharp as knives. I pushed through it, looking up at the towering cliff for a gate or steps to climb. Nothing else seemed to be alive boot out the insects. I could only hear their buzzing and the slap of them when they hit the wall.There was no gate. I began to feel desperate. I ran towards a bastion, wondering if I could climb up to it in any way. I knew that I could not.Denton Welch, Maiden Voyage (1943)