In the City: New Zealand Short Stories
'Big Brother, Little Sister' Language Analysis
1. Look at some of the language features from 'Big Brother, Little Sister'.
Quote from
the story
“her shadow
reached out like a
bird’s wing”
“she fluttered
into her brother’s
arms”
Name of literary
device
simile
Intended meaning
Effect
Her shadow
widened
metaphor
She fell into her
brother’s arms
“A car
screamed at her
heels and slashed
her with light.”
personification
“...and horns
were booming...”
onomatopoeia
The brakes of a car
made a screeching
noise and its lights
quickly shone on
her body
The car horns were
sounded
Builds an image of
the little sister as a
bird
Builds on the
image of the little
sister as a bird that
needs protection
Illustrates the
danger of the street
for such a small
child
“…The bikies
rumbled into the
concrete canyons
of the city.”
descriptive
language
“Cars slewed
alliteration
past in a steady
stream.”
“… and twist
repetition
their mother round
his finger…” “…he
began to twist her
tight …” (pg 15)
Involves the reader
more by
emphasising the
sound that is made.
We can sympathise
with how
frightening the
traffic must seem to
the children
The bikies drove
Involves the reader
into the roads in the more by
city
emphasising the
enormity of the city
and the sound that
the bikes make that
is made. We can
sympathise with
how frightening the
city and the traffic
must seem to the
children
Cars moved slowly Highlights the
past in a long line
image of the busy
street
He made their
By repeating the
mother do anything word ‘twist’,
he wanted. She
Ihimaera highlights
began to feel
the pressure the
pressured to do
mother is under to
what he wanted
please her man
2. Complete a table like the one above for the quotations below. Some quotations
may include two or more language features
1. "...and the showering blue sparks made it appear like a giant red beetle
writhing in pain."
2. "Car motors revved and roared at them and unblinking headlights watched
them cross."
3. "the bikies rode like helmeted harpies with high silver-chromed wings."
4. "Look after your sister. Uncle Pera and I want to watch television. Look after
your sister. We want to be by ourselves. Look after your sister."
5. "Mum doesn't need us anymore, he'd said. She doesn't need me. She let that
man give me a hiding. She let him."
6. "- Get out she'd screamed at Hema. -No. -Do as your mother says. -You're not
my father. I don't take orders from you."
7. "They had sat there, watching train after train pull out of the station, carriage
after carriage of lighted windows flowing past like dream after dream."
8. "You and your black bitch, you and her were made for each other."
9. "For them there were no lighted windows."
10. "They began to fight, and a beer bottle smashed on the asphalt."
11. "Their mother was a weak woman. She needed people. One day, when all
others had left her, she might need Hema and Janey again."
Quote from the
story
Name of literary
device
Intended meaning
Effect