The Bright Lights Of Sarajevo
Jan '22 Paper 2R
2
Jan '20 Paper 2
1
Paragraph 1: 'Relationship Between the Young Couple'
. "candlelit café"
– The alliteration in this phrase depicts the warmth and comfort between
the young couple amidst the chaos of war.
– The candle's subtle light contrasts to the aggressive bombing of the
city.
– The adjective "candlelit" could symbolize how temporary this sense of
joy is to the young couple as the candle could be 'blown' out any
moment. It could also be seen that as the candle's wax melts away, so
does their time of enjoying each other's company.
– The love this couple shares suggests how Sarajevans still try to find
joy in their daily lives and can act as their protest and rebellion against
the war's atrocities.
. "dark-boy shape leads dark-girl shape"
– This is an example of anaphora that creates a hazy image of the young
couple.
– Normally, such anonymity would instill fear, yet this lack of identity is
appreciated by Sarajevans as it dissipates any ethnic tension.
– Moreover, the promise of love provides the young people some
stability in their volatile life; thus the looks of the people they're with
–
holds little value to them.
– Being subject to death at any moment, the people of Sarajevo now
value each other's mere presence as it's something they can no longer
take for granted and could be stolen from them any second.
– Overall, this leaves the reader with a feeling of empathy for Sarajevans
as they strive for love even amidst war.
Paragraph 2: 'Significance of Darkness'
. "black shapes impossible to mark"
– This metaphor implies the dehumanization of war to the people of
Sarajevo.
– The noun "shapes" suggests they're mere targets for snipers with very
little values to their lives. And if they "mark" them successfully, then
they become another number added to the death reports; with no care
paid to the souls lost and families broken.
– The fact they're "black" is particularly significant as it suggests they're
marginalized into the shadows in their own city.
– However, this is a source of relief for Sarajevans as it makes it
"impossible" for bombers or snipers to take their lives away.
. "bright and clear for bomber's eye"
– The syndetic pair "bright and clear" juxtaposes with the previous
discretion the darkness offered.
– It is quite ironic that the people of Sarajevo find peace in the darkness
we normally consider dangerous.
– Plosives of the 'b' sound mirrors the harsh truth the people of Sarajevo
are living; where the light puts them under the "bomber's eye"
– A predator-prey relationship is brought about in the light of day: where
the bombers eye sarajevans like a hawk would its next prey.
– This replaces the previous tenderness of the young couple and
reminds the reader of the reality of war Sarajevans have to endure.
Paragraph 3: 'Living Conditions of People of Sarajevo'
. "dodging snipers"
– The dynamic verb "dodging" portrays the constant 'fight or flight'
state the Sarajevans are trapped in.
– Likewise, the verb is in its present participle form to suggest the
continuity of this action that it has settled into their daily lives as
means for survival.
– This illustrates the perpetual tension nested in the city; that getting
bread, an action so simple, could take your life away.
. "blood-dunked crusts of shredded bread"
– Consonance of the 'd' sounds molds the horror Sarajevans experience
in their lives.
– This grotesque imagery highlights the atrocities of war.
– "Bread", such a commonplace, is symbolic for the habitual day-to-day
aspects in Sarajevans' lives, which war had turned into something a
scarce commodity essential for survival.
– Therefore, the changing nature of the relationship with bread reveals
the traumatic influence of war on the people.
– It could also be seen that in some foul manner the survivors are eating
the bread others' blood had been shed for and "dunked" in;
demonstrating to the reader the coexistence of the mundane and
tragic in war.
Paragraph 4: 'Lasting Effect on the City'
. "Death-deep, death-dark wells"
– The repetition of "death" asserts its relentless presence as if it's alive
and breathing at the Sarajevans' necks.
– Likewise, the alliteration between the adjectives "deep" and "dark"
creates a vivid image of an endless pit threatening to swallow the
Sarajevans' lives.
– The "wells" are known to usually store water: the essence of life.
– Consequently, death stirring in the wells could suggest that Sarajevans
are forced to taste "death" at every gulp of water they take, depicting
war's sickening imprint on their lives.
. "Splintered Pleiades"
– This carries allusions to the greek mythology as "pleiades" are a
cluster of stars who used to be Atlas's daughters.
– Some believe the dead turn into stars which could foreshadow the
impending death of people because of war.
– However, stars are also known to 'guide the way'. This is notable as
they're now "splintered" which could symbolize the Sarajevans'
compass being broken, and so they struggle to navigate through the
war's barbarity.
– This also showcases the eternal damage war had incurred; as even the
universe can't survive the bombing not just Sarajevans.
– This conjures a feeling of loss and grieving in the reader for the
beautiful city massacred by war's cruelty.
