Commonalities Between AJ, BC, Assisi
Isolation
Connection to place
Brookyln Cop
Assisi
Aunt Julia
“Whose home is a place he might, this time, never get back to?”
-The danger of his job means that he can’t be sure he will see from again, as everyday he leaves, he feels a sense of disconnection and distance.
"Gunshots and clubbings' - in the face of danger the cop feels a sense of isolation.
-He's in environment on his own, and can only defend on himself and his wits
“Hieroglyphs in his face”- Cop has to remain distant from the people he policies.
-By needing to show that he is different from others, feels isolated as a result.
“Absolute darkness” - On his own, absolute showing separation of society/people etc
-The darkness of the box bed also being isolating
“Questions unanswered” - unable to truly know his aunt, causing him to feel disconnect
“I could not answer her, I could not understand her” - Lack of communication causes McCaig to feel separation from Aunt Julia
“Ruined temple” - The dwarf is outside in a physical sense - he sits outside the church.
There is ambiguity used - he also is outside the community and protection of the church.
“Reveal to the literate the goodness of God and the suffering”
-Here we see the hypocrisy of the church, which preaches forgiveness, love and charity and yet ignores the suffering of the dwarf.
-They leave him isolated in spite of his poor condition and vulnerability.
“Not dead yet” - the dwarf is close to death - he is isolated from others through his disability and deformity.
-His daily struggles mean that he feels alone.
Brooklyn Cop
Assisi
Aunt Julia
“Sandy graves at Luskintyre" - Final resting place is peaceful, beautiful beach.
-Very much tied go the sea and the isle of harris, where she will remain
“Walks the sidewalk and the tissue of violence” - Links cop to the physical pavements that he walks down and the danger there shows streets are place of violence.
“Makes frescoes tell stories" - these frescoes tell the stories of Christ and God, but these stories are not one which is followed by the priest who speaks to them, and ignores the suffering of the poor that he sees on a daily basis.
“Strong foot stained with peat.” - her way of life - digging peat for fuel, walking barefoot on the land has literally left its mark.
“Stained” - AJ by the way of life shows connection to land
“Gunshots and clubbings between phoebe’s whamburger and louie's place” - are the everyday places of brooklyn.
-They are normal, average and amongst this daily bustle of life there is a clear sign of violence.
The Weaponised nature shows that this violence is premeditated or at least prepared for.
“Ruined temple outside” - The connection between the church in Assisi and the dwarf is clear.
Just as the church is a grand and ostentatious building, the dwarf is the opposite - he is a physical wreck, and the contrast between the two is evident.
“She was winds pouring wet round house ends” - AJ has a link to the elemental aspects of the islands.
-The alteration allows us to hear what it's like , and connects her to the backhouse she lives in.
“Whose home as a place he might never get back to” - The cop values home as a place of sanctuary and despite his day job it’s a place to get away from violence.
“The three tiers of churches” - again the magnificence of the church is shown.
This is a facade for the church as the wealth and power if the church is pointless, since it doesn't stick to the values it enshrines.