Paper 1 – Text 1:

Analysis

Judging from the characteristics of the text: direct narration, hindsight wisdom and dialogue, one can deduce that it is none other than an autobiography. Withal, the patent statement at the bottom of the text further corroborates this claim. Through her reflection author, Mary Seacole educates the reader on the inherency and commonplace of death. Nonetheless, Seacole renders the occurrence in a positive light, inviting the reader to neither fear or be ashamed of it’s inevitably but embrace it, robbing it of its victory and “making their death a triumph”. The intended audience of this text would not be those solely interested in this particular aspect of the author’s life. Rather, as this excerpt represents a mere section of her autobiography, they would be drawn in by her life experiences as a whole. 

The account enumerates the author’s experiences in Jamaica in the year 1853, highlighting the various struggles she encountered amidst her eight-month endeavour against the yellow fever endemic in the region. The author graphically reflects on the severity of the cases she dealt with, many of which resulted in death. She continues to reveal, that how we bear death wholly depends on or constitutions. Building of the notion, she draws a stark contrast between the two approaches one may adopt when confronted with enteral rest. The first, the seemingly more honourable of the two is that of a brave man, who despite having ‘smiled at the cruelest amputation’ died ‘trembling like a child.’ The latter, is that of an individual who despite his cowardice life, drew upon his ‘last painful breath’ like a hero, striking at his foe (death) to the last. The importance of this compassion is that it recognises that an individuals passing does not always act as a reflection of their life and that for some, there might in fact be redemption through the grave. In addition the author conveys a personal anecdotal from her life, relating the loss of a man she loved and the lessons she gleaned from his life in regards to the fear of death and the religious feelings tied to it.

The narrative adopts a somewhat morbid and doleful mood and this evident through the expressions Seacole employs to depict her story: “suffering and gloom,” “house fall of sufferers,” “distressing struggle with a grim foe,” and “Valley of the Shadow of Death” to name a few. Howbeit, this can be expected, as the narrative’s very source martial, acts as the epitome of the above statements. Despite this, the author’s tone is ultimately uplifting and through the attitude of her piece, depicts a light at the end of the tunnel. This notion is most apparent in her closing statement, “He repeated this many times, until the Heaven he obeyed sent him in its mercy forgetfulness,” substantiating the certainty that one might in fact experience a fitting and tranquil end. 

As mentioned before the account follows the author’s exploits during her stay in Jamaica. As such its views on the subject of death and the sufferings of the native and expatriate populous are largely objective, based of real life experience and exposure. On the subject of death, the authors adheres to the traditional, ideological viewpoint, “Death is always terrible.” However rather than restricting her efforts to mere criticism, Seacole offers an alternate perspective on how to confront the matter and to face death like a hero, robbing it of its victory while making your own demise a triumph. In terms style and structure, the narrative makes use of direct narration and pronouns, the author retelling the various events that transpired from a first person perspective.In doing so she captivates her audience’s attention as they relive her tale just as she would have experienced it. The primary sentence structure the author makes use of is declarative. Refraining from mere technical jargon and abstraction, Seacole relates her story in an easy to understand manner and in doing so stresses the imperatively and severity of her experiences. In addition, Seacole musters vivid imagery and this is illustrated throughout the narrative through her use of evocative descriptions, “his poor hands tremblingly penning the last few words” and “the tears I could not repress, rolling down my brown cheeks,” transporting the reader into her world. By the same token, her reflective somewhat resigned register further contributes to the visage, highlighting the brevity and transient nature of life on earth, a subject that resonates with all.