The Explorer's Daughter

The Explorer's Daughter

Summary
The Explorers Daughter is less focused on the story, it describes the narwhal hunt, but without focusing on the usual elements
of storytelling, such as suspense and plot development. Rather, it explores the moral and environmental issues around hunting
by indigenous peoples. So you could say it is about the issues raised by hunting in the Arctic.

Theme
A theme in a text is an idea explored by the author, consciously or otherwise. In a sense, this is a deeper level of what the text
is about. In some cases, the author is very deliberately exploring a theme as in the extract from The Explorers Daughter,
which looks at the questions surrounding narwhal hunting in the Arctic and concludes that it is necessary to the survival of
inhabitants.

Text
The author is writing about their own experience although the context of it is not focused on them.


Paragraph 1
"...spectral play of colour." This sentence shows a sense of immediate aroma. It is an imagery so give a strong sense of place
and setting.
"..butter-gold.." This text shows a sense of wealth
"..shifting light." is Poetical

Paragraph 2
"dead of winter" This is a metaphor - weaker setting
the tone is ominous and there is the sense of place and danger

Paragraph 3
dead of winter is a metaphor to show a weaker setting.
The whole of paragraph 3 has an ominous tone. It shows a sense of place and danger.

Paragraph 4
The whole of paragraph 4 has a shift in tone from paragraph 3; it is more factual, informative and for example shows this by
using technical words. It is also the biggest paragraph. In the context you find out that the community really relies on the
hunting and how dangerous it is.

Paragraph 5
..clustered.. The word clustered is a powerful connotation, it means that the women are scared so they huddle together and
try to comfort each other.
It was like watching a cast, waterborne game with the hunters spread like a net around the sound. This sentence is imagery. It
has added adverbs to show how scared the women were and how much their husbands are important in their life.

Paragraph 6
"... gently picked up his harpoon" thought and care, focus on the actual hunt and the text also switches back to the hunters.
"... two heads and one bladder" not high-tech technology, limited, she respects them because they are using a harpoon, she is
sympathetic to the narwhal and the hunters, dramatic.
"..urge..." to show how strongly she wanted the narwhal to survive
"...to dive, to leave, to survive" - triad

Paragraph 7
"The dilemma stayed..." This shows that she's not that sure who to be sympathetic for, the narwhal or the hunters but her
sympathy gets switched back to the hunters un this paragraph.
"How can you possibly eat seal?" is a view point of society this shows that the modern person thinks that this is a crime.
-she builds up her argument, these are the points of her argument
"use every part of the animal" - so theres no waste/leftover
"imported goods can only ever account for..."
"do not kill for sport"




How The author makes the setting Interesting?
Through visual appeal
Planes of spray
spectral play of colour
glittering
light turning butter gold
long narrow inlet of the sea (fjord)
by description of how the narrator breaking interest he took sharp intake of breath
by description of how whales circled the fjord. The hunters were dotted all around the fjord
The description of the closed proximity of the hunters to the whales. close enough to tough the narwhal with their bare hands
The description of the illusions of distances in the Arctic Distances are always deceptive
The habits of Narwal
They rarely stray from high Arctic waters.
They go to more temperature waters towards the Arctic circle in the dead of winter.
They never enter warm southern seas.
Every summer they return to the Northwest Greenland.
How are the whales useful to these eskimos?
1. The meat of the narwhal is rich in necessary minerals and vitamins especially vitamin C. which prevents scurvy.
2. The blubber of the whales are used as food and heat insulation.
3. The dark red meat is valuable as diet for both men and dogs.
4. The single ivory tusk is used for harpoon tips and handles for other hunting implements.
5. The tusks are used as a beam for their ancient houses.
How does she defend the hunting of seals and whales?
1. The Eskimos do not kill the whales for sports. They use every part of the animal they kill. This constitutes a greater part of the food
supply.
Language and Techniques
The writer takes the reader directly into the action of the matter eg: Two hours after
Use of sensory appeal plums of spray,spectral play of colours,The evening light was turning butter gold
Use of ellipsis. eg: The narwhal to focus on individual concerns and interest.
Use of Dash. for eg: it was crucial to her that her husband catch a narwhal-it was part This is done to explain in the same sentence
structure why it was necessary for the husband.
Use of similes. For eg: hunters spread like a net around the sound hunters position are being compared.
Use of first person. eg: I understand the harshness This use of language makes the account authentic/realistic.