HS4 Hawk by Helen McDonald - Lecture Notes

Context

• Purpose: Preparation for Edexcel GCSE English Language Exam, Paper 1.
• Theme: McDonald's experience of mourning her father's death by engaging with the intense task of training a hawk.
• Focus: The hawk may symbolically reflect her mourning process.

Key Points

Introduction to the Text

• Annotation Difficulty: Complexity in annotating due to the multitude of interpretations; important to develop personal insights.
• Foreshadowing: Reference to nearly taking the wrong bird home, creating a humorous foreshadowing of a plot twist.

Initial Encounter with the Hawk

• Imagery and Sound: Onomatopoeic 'thump' and descriptive language create tension and anticipation.
• Irony: The hood meant to protect the hawk from humans reveals the hawk's fear of them, showing McDonald's empathy towards the bird.
• Handler's Role: The handler's frown adds to tension, showing even experts can be unsettled.

Build-Up and Tension

• Short Sentences: Used to create tension.
• Repetition: Words like 'thump' emphasize the build-up of anticipation.
• Descriptive Imagery: "Light like a flood" as the hawk emerges, suggesting a godlike, overwhelming presence.

Description of the Hawk

• Language Techniques:
  • Alliteration: "chaotic clutter" emphasizes the overwhelming moment.
  • Listing: Syndetic listing highlights the hawk's overwhelming presence.
  • Hyperbole: Descriptions like "enormous" and "reptile" to show awe.
  • Pathetic Fallacy: Sunlight and brilliance symbolize the hawk's majestic, intimidating nature.
• Perception of the Hawk: Seen as otherworldly, intimidating yet awe-inspiring.

Juxtaposition and Overwhelm

• Hawk's New World: Extensive listing shows the hawk's new overwhelming surroundings.
• Juxtaposition: Short sentences of the hawk's past (simple, contained) versus the extensive list of its current experience (complex, vast).

Handler's Control

• Handler Actions: Active verbs show handler's control over the situation.
• Nurturing Nature: Handler's care emphasized through past nurturing actions.

Emotional Contrast

• McDonald's Emotion: Vulnerability and reliance on the handler's expertise.
• Juxtaposition: Between the menacing appearance of the hawk and McDonald's compassion.
• Fear and Awe: McDonald feels both fear and awe towards the hawk's power.

Climax: The Wrong Hawk

• Plot Twist: Realization of having the wrong hawk adds to tension.
• Heightened Anticipation: Understanding the next hawk is even larger and potentially more intimidating.

Final Reflection

• McDonald's Realization: Emotional and physical description of McDonald's state reflects her grief and reliance on the hawks as a coping mechanism.
• Conclusion and Feelings:
  • Juxtaposition of her anticipation and the overwhelming sight of the hawks.
  • Compassion and understanding for the smaller hawk.
  • Awkwardness and fear in requesting to exchange the hawk.

Thoughts and Feelings

• Anticipation and Tension: Leading to the bird's reveal.
• Overwhelm and Awe: Both fearful and impressed by the hawk.
• Compassion: More so for the smaller bird's situation, drawing parallels with her own grief.
• Awkwardness: Requesting the other bird, reflecting her vulnerability and need for control.