Transcript ozymandias - Missy-P

What point is the narrator trying to make about the
change between his past (with Willie-Boy) and his
current life (with Jen and Glyn)?
• He uses the poem Ozymandias as a metaphor
for the wasteland of his past life, although as
the story progresses it becomes clear that it
is his current life that is more of a wasteland.
His recall of the day with Willie-Boy is that of
a perfect day, where he felt secure and that
he belonged. In his current life, although he is
successful, he is not happy – he doesn’t feel
secure, happy or that he belongs.
• His past life with Willie-Boy seems like a
completely separate life. We are not sure how
accurate his memory of the encounter with
Willie-Boy was, as each time he replays the
memory in his head (as a film), something more
is added to it. Is the narrator adding the details
or did they actually happen? However, it is clear
that his memory of his past life with Willie Boy
has had a profound effect on how he is feeling
about his current one.
How does Ihimaera show that the narrator is
terribly conflicted about the events of the day?
• The way he reflects on his day over and over
again and how it affected him.
• He explains how his life has changed after seeing
W-B at the prison. “I have been unable to sleep
and have left my Jen to her dreams. I have been
running and re-running this day through my mind
like a film.
• The way time stopped at the moment of
recognition shows that it was big moment of
conflict.
• He was obviously conflicted because he
couldn’t sleep. (See previous quote).
• He also uses the poem to replace how he is
feeling about his encounter. He had to learn
the poem as a result of his “wagging” that day
with W-B and it is now indelibly connected
with his recent encounter.
What are the connections between
the poem and the story?
• At the end of the story, the narrator relates his
friend to the statue of Ozymandias – BUT then HE
becomes the statue – the wrecked remnant
“When I look back at him I see only myself; my
eyes, not his, staring back from behind the clouds
of drifting sand”.
• The last line of the story: “Nothing beside
remains”. This is also in the last line of the poem.
It is referring to the fact that Willie-Boy has taken
over his thoughts and nothing remains.
• “The sentinel crumbles” – this is referring to his friendship
with W-B and how the seemingly permanent friendship is
now just a memory. “It was as if I was the
stranger…”(p.181) – the narrator becomes the narrator of
the poem as well.
• “The colossal wreck” is Willie Boy although it can also refer
to how the narrator sees himself now.
• The poem itself being learned and memorised – at the time
the boys hated it but now it permeates more and more into
the story. From this we can see that the memory of the
best day of his life has changed his perception of the poem.
The poem is irretrievably linked with his memories of W-B.
Ozymandias
• Techniques: enjambment, caesura, metaphor,
heavy use of adjectives,
personification/metaphor. Give examples!