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AN INTERPRETATION OF ‘THE LAST NIGHT’
CONTEXT & PLOT
This extract comes from a much larger novel known as Charlotte Gray. It is set in France which was occupied and controlled by the Germans during the 2nd world war. Jewish people including two small children are waiting to be taken to a concentrated camp. The two children are Andre and Jacob. At the concentration camp they will face death, however they may not be fully be aware of this.
MOOD & ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere in the text is filled with tension. Each detail helps to build the picture of one shot sequence of time in a period of war. eg: “…which the deportees might write a final message.” The word “Final” could mean last message before they die. The phrase “…camp orders forbade access to the post.” means the Jews were discriminated against living in the atmosphere of fear. “A woman came with a sandwich for each child to take on the journey.” In this phrase a woman is introduced who is unknown. She is sympathetic with the children.
CHARACTERS
Andre is the elder of the two children. He looks after his brother Jacob very carefully. “André was lying on the straw … Jacob’s limbs were intertwined with his for warmth.” This phrase shows Andre depends on Jacob. Jacob is the younger brother of Andre. Jewish Orderly: A person employed by Germans to supervise Jews. He is a Jew himself and he can be treated as a traitor to the German Nazis because he helps the deportees. Commandant/ Policemen: They seem to be going about their Jobs with a lot of efficiency. Gendarme(s): A Policeman who seems to be actively involved in what’s going on. The Unknown Woman: A French wife/mother who is not being deported, who is trying to help by throwing food to the deportees, even though it never reaches them. "He saw a woman’s face in which the eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity on a child beside him"] Bus Driver: He is transporting deportees to the station/concentration camp.
THE LANGUAGE
The writer does not over-emphasize details. The tone used is a matter of fact and the description is ordinary. The grimness of the condition is shown by the phrase, “André was lying on the straw, the soft bloom of his cheek laid, uncaring, in the dung.” The writer uses contrast. Some contrast is implied for instance with the “five white-and-green municipal buses” that are ordinary in their use but their purpose is to take the deportees on their final journey. In the phrase “Five white-and-green municipal buses had come in through the main entrance, and now stood trembling in the wired-off corner of the yard” single words carry huge importance - for example the connotations of the word ‘trembling” ironically applies to the deportees also. More complex language is used for special effect eg: the use of words terrible ferocity in the phrase “he saw a woman’s face in which the eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity on a child beside him.” Words and phrases that suggest sound and movement makes the passage more dramatic eg: “sudden ripple”, ”homely thudding of a Parisian bus”, ”quickening of muscle” etc.
http://www.igcse-english.com/section-b/the-last-night-from-charlotte-gray/
This extract comes from a much larger novel known as Charlotte Gray. It is set in France which was occupied and controlled by the Germans during the 2nd world war. Jewish people including two small children are waiting to be taken to a concentrated camp. The two children are Andre and Jacob. At the concentration camp they will face death, however they may not be fully be aware of this.
MOOD & ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere in the text is filled with tension. Each detail helps to build the picture of one shot sequence of time in a period of war. eg: “…which the deportees might write a final message.” The word “Final” could mean last message before they die. The phrase “…camp orders forbade access to the post.” means the Jews were discriminated against living in the atmosphere of fear. “A woman came with a sandwich for each child to take on the journey.” In this phrase a woman is introduced who is unknown. She is sympathetic with the children.
CHARACTERS
Andre is the elder of the two children. He looks after his brother Jacob very carefully. “André was lying on the straw … Jacob’s limbs were intertwined with his for warmth.” This phrase shows Andre depends on Jacob. Jacob is the younger brother of Andre. Jewish Orderly: A person employed by Germans to supervise Jews. He is a Jew himself and he can be treated as a traitor to the German Nazis because he helps the deportees. Commandant/ Policemen: They seem to be going about their Jobs with a lot of efficiency. Gendarme(s): A Policeman who seems to be actively involved in what’s going on. The Unknown Woman: A French wife/mother who is not being deported, who is trying to help by throwing food to the deportees, even though it never reaches them. "He saw a woman’s face in which the eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity on a child beside him"] Bus Driver: He is transporting deportees to the station/concentration camp.
THE LANGUAGE
The writer does not over-emphasize details. The tone used is a matter of fact and the description is ordinary. The grimness of the condition is shown by the phrase, “André was lying on the straw, the soft bloom of his cheek laid, uncaring, in the dung.” The writer uses contrast. Some contrast is implied for instance with the “five white-and-green municipal buses” that are ordinary in their use but their purpose is to take the deportees on their final journey. In the phrase “Five white-and-green municipal buses had come in through the main entrance, and now stood trembling in the wired-off corner of the yard” single words carry huge importance - for example the connotations of the word ‘trembling” ironically applies to the deportees also. More complex language is used for special effect eg: the use of words terrible ferocity in the phrase “he saw a woman’s face in which the eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity on a child beside him.” Words and phrases that suggest sound and movement makes the passage more dramatic eg: “sudden ripple”, ”homely thudding of a Parisian bus”, ”quickening of muscle” etc.
http://www.igcse-english.com/section-b/the-last-night-from-charlotte-gray/
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