Author: Callum

It was dark. Rain pitter-pattered on windows, thunder roared in fury, puddles of blood gathered to make streams as lighting flashed in the back-streets of London. Friday the 13th had arrived. Strange things had been happening to him ever his he’d moved into his new house. Was it haunted? It couldn’t be, ghosts aren’t real. Are they? Was it his mirror? Had he cracked it? Had he done anything bad? No, no he had just given to charity yesterday.

The next morning David woke up with an ache in his back and arms. His couldn’t believe what he was visualizing, his arm was smothered in black and blue bruises. He dreaded badly injured his back was, not forgetting his exceeding pain. How did this happen he thought to himself whilst walking to the bathroom. Then he froze. On his back was a warning that had been engraved on his back , with something similar to a knife. The message said ‘You’re next…’ He was speechless. Tons of questions were running through his head, his stomach churning with butterflies and he felt highly agitated. David knew this was only start. He was in deep, deep danger. Suddenly the light started to fulgurate then words appeared on the mirror, ‘you will inform nobody, you will not leave the house, you will not talk to anyone.’ For the rest of the day he sat there in silence not knowing what to do. Soon afterwards remembering that he had an interview for a new job tomorrow.

The weather was still awful but he would still have to go no matter what. He had to get this job and start a new life in London, after what had happened to him in his very, very unpleasant life. On train it was packed, it was strangely calm but David felt danger on the horizon. Suddenly the lights started to flicker and as the light would reappear from the darkness, a person would disappear until, suddenly, it was just him, the train and whatever was out to get him. Then he heard 5 consistent banging noises which followed by 5 large fist dents that were the size of TV’s in the roof of the carriage. A snarling voice came from above “you have no escape now. Ha-ha!” Subsequently, a huge hideous monstrosity plummeted through the ceiling, eyes blazing with fury, veins popping out and its nauseating breath beating against the top of his head . This beast had 5 arms and legs with muscles which were as solid as a rock and as tough as steel, 2 repellent heads, 4 beady eyes, rough and resilient skin and wings which were had the power of a kick by a horses hind legs. David tried not to show his consternation and attempted to replace it with intrepidness even though his knees were knocking. Then the battle began. With its huge wings it made to large gusts of wind and David was sent flying back meters as he was struggling to get up, the beast charged towards him. Its veins popping out in pure anger with a slight smirk hidden in its repulsive face.

What was that beasts Achilles heel? Then he realised. It may of been strong but it wasn’t half as smart as David, he had to get this monster to injure itself. The titan swung a punch at David. He could tell it was running out of energy, this was his chance, David cringed as the monstrosity’s fist went crashing in the brick wall that surrounded them both suddenly started to crumble. SMACK! BANG! CRASH! As bricks piled onto the giant. Luckily, David had managed to find a gap that he could leap through. Then he started to run as death chased him.

He had finally arrived at his interview, a mess. “What has happened to you and why are you so late.” “Erm…. It was the bad weather.” And that was the end of that. Weeks had passed and David’s life had already changed miraculously. He had got a new job in a train station, a wife and was living a great life. However deep, deep down David knew that it would never be the end. But he was ready.

Simple sentence: ‘Then     something     went      wrong.’                                                                                                                     ADVERB  PRONOUN    VERB    ADJECTIVE                                                                             I think Salman Rushdie has used a simple sentence to create a dramatic effect on the mood/atmosphere.

Compound sentence: ‘Black smoke poured out of the chimneys of the sadness factories and hung over the city like bad news.‘ ADJ  NOUN VERB ADV  PRE ART NOUN PRE ART SUBJECT NOUN CONJ VERB PRE ART NOUN PRE ADJ NOUN. I think Salman Rushdie uses compound sentences to create a vivid image in your mind.

Complex sentence: ‘The day Soraya stopped singing in the middle of a line, as if someone had thrown a switch  , Haroun guessed there was trouble brewing.’ ART NOUN PROPERNOUN VERB VERB PRE ART NOUN PRE ART SYMBOL[as if] NOUN VERB VERB ART NOUN PROPERNOUN VERB ADV VERB NOUN VERB. I think Salman Rushdie uses a complex sentence to elaborate on a certain emotion.

MAIN CLAUSE     SUBORDINATE CLAUSE   (hung over the city like bad news)=SIMILIE & PERSONIFICATION SIMILIE

Salman Rushdie sets a sad atmosphere in chapter 1. To create the atmosphere he uses descriptive language, word devices, imaginary items and personification. The author uses personification by giving the city a forgotten name. ‘There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name.’ ‘It stood by a mournful sea full of glumfish, which were so miserable to eat that they made people belch with melancholy.’ This also uses personification in saying that the city can stand. Furthermore, it uses glumfish which are imaginary, creating an idea of how gloomy the city is.

Salman Rushdie sets a sad atmosphere where everyone is blue. Next, he introduces the only happy characters in Alifbay, Haroun, Rashid (the storyteller) and Soraya. ‘There lived a happy young fellow by the name of Haroun, the only child of the storyteller Rashid Khalifa whose cheerfulness was famous throughout that unhappy metropolis, this had earned him not one but two nicknames.’ Some people love Rashid enlightening them with his stories but others do not agree therefore he has two names. Shah of Blah (the bad name) and the Ocean of Notions (the good name). This is similar to how the author has created a sad city and a magical city.

The author also introduces Haroun’s neighbours called Mr & Mrs Sengupta. They are always talking to Haroun’s family. Mrs Sengupta is a kind woman who cares for Haroun but Mr Sengupta is a man who Haroun dislikes. ‘Mr Sengupta ignored Haroun, but was always talking to Soraya, which Haroun didn’t like, particularly as the fellow would launch into criticisms whenever he thought Haroun wasn’t listening. “. He’s got his head stuck in the air and his feet off the ground. Life is not a storybook or a joke shop. All this fun will come to no good. ‘ Then he convinces Soraya to run off somewhere else with him. This changes Haroun’s mood and makes him angry adding to the emotion. These character plots could set the scene for the rest of the story.

The author uses a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences to change or elaborate on a certain mood. ‘So now kindly desist from this Iffing and Butting and be happy with the stories you enjoy” Except that one day Haroun asked one question too many, and then hell broke loose.’ By using a compound sentence Salman Rushdie changed the mood from a calm, relaxed mood into a tense one. He also creates suspense because that is the end of the paragraph.

In chapter 1 Salman Rushdie sets a sad atmosphere. As the paragraphs progress Haroun and his father enter the magical world of fantasy where they meet new characters with new personalities. In chapter 1 the author refers to morbid times such as ‘had to pay rent to local gangsters’ he then changes the mood dramatically in chapter 2 ‘with its fields of gold and its silver mountains’ This is a big difference in atmosphere and plot. Salman Rushdie is very clear when he changes the atmosphere.

“How does Salman Rushdie prepare us for the events in Chapter 1.”

In chapter 1, Salman Rushdie uses many word devices and emphasises to create an effect on the atmosphere. ‘In a ruined city so sad it had forgotten its name. He uses personification for the town, he describes it as a sad person full of sad factories which produce thick smoke.

It was packed. There was barely any space to breath. People were being elbowed and barge like being trapped in a herd of elephants, we were a swarm of flies. The queues were even worse, especially as it was the January sales, they had became trees that moved forward every couple minutes (which felt like hours.) The air was thick, hot, sticky breath pressing and beating on the back of your neck, then everything went silent.

A coin dropped, sweat pitter-pattered on the floor then the murmurs came back spitting out of mouths as quick as the shops were making money. Hundreds, thousands screaming at the top of their lungs until they got their wish granted. Workers had astonishing patience but that was probably because their wages had just been doubled.

1. Compound – Black smoke poured out of the chimneys of the sadness factories and hung over the cities like bad news . Complex – In the north of the sad city stood mighty factories in which (so I’m told) sadness was actually manufactured , packaged and sent all over the world, which never seemed to get enough of it.

2. Black smoke hung over the cities. Sadness was sent around the world from the mighty factories.

3. Black smoke poured out of the chimneys of the sadness factories and hung over the cities like bad news

noun – factories       verb – poured/hung       preposition – over      noun phrase –  Black smoke poured out of them.

EXT: In the north of the sad city stands mighty factories in which (so they are told) they manufacture, package and send it all over the world, which never seems to have enough of it. Black smoke pours out of the chimneys of the sadness factories and hangs over the city like bad news.