Young and Dyslexic-

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  • YOUNG AND DYSLEXIC - You've got it going on.
    • LANGUAGE
      • 'WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS, WE ARE THE DESIGNERS.' - inclusive , positive statement, turning usual negative associations with dyslexia into positives. Also inclusive pronoun used to show supportive teamwork and rapport with other dyslexic people- one community.
      • 'NO COMPA-SSION, NO UNDER-STANDING, NO HUMANITY' - Rule of 3 emphasises how education system and dyslexia were in the past.
      • 'IDEA OF BEING KIND AND THOUGHTFUL AND LISTENING TO PROBLEMS' - another rule of 3 used- contrasts with the other one to show how things should've been.
      • 'I THOUGHT I'D PUT IN A GOOD IDEA. I WAS JUST BEING CREATIVE.' - short sentences used to suggest Zephaniah's shock at the teacher's harsh response.
      • '''LOCAL SAVAGES''' - racism. Direct speech shows reality of anecdote. He vividly remembers exact words suggesting how it could have affected him.
      • 'BLACK MAN... FAMILY FELL APART, IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE... UNABLE TO READ OR WRITE, WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS AND, ON TOP OF THAT, DYSLEXIC.' - Shows what he has overcome- gives hope to reader. Excessive listing used to show everything.
      • 'IT'S NOT YOU' - direct address to communicate directly to reader and reassure.
      • 'DYSLEXIA IS NOT A MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE: YOU MAY HAVE A GENIUS ON YOUR HANDS' use of colon to emphasise second clause.
      • '''CREAT-IVITY MUSCLE'''- Inverted commas are used as this is an invented term. Adds physicallity to statement. Ironically contrasts with physical muscles Zeph's teacher's expected him to have. Also shows how he can create solutions to problems.
      • 'US DYSLEXIC PEOPLE, WE'VE GOT IT GOING ON- WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS, WE ARE THE DESIGNERS.' - 'us' collective pronoun - sense of belonging and support. Urban idiom is used to show that despite his progress to becoming a professor, he remembers his roots.
    • QUOTES
      • 'SHUT UP, STUPID BOY. BAD PEOPLE WOULD DO ONE-THIRD MORE BAD.' - shows harshness of teachers. Also shows that whilst Zephaniah thought how good people could do one third more good, the teachers thought that people would do one third more bad- showing the negativity of the teachers and school system.
      • 'NAZIS WEREN'T THAT BAD.''- showing negativity and carelessness of teachers. Zeph is compared with Nazis.
      • 'BUT OPPORTUNITIES OPENED FOR ME AND THEY MISSED THEIRS, DIDN'T NOTICE THEM OR DIDN'T TAKE THEM.'- maintains hope and encourages reader to take their opportunities. Everyone will get one just need to take it.
      • 'I JUST HAD SELF-BELIEF'-  simple sentence, hinting that self-belief is all he needed and he got his opportunity from that instead of prison.
      • 'SQUIGGLE' - shows non-dyslexic readers what words may look like to Zeph.
      • 'GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY SOME FOOTBALL' - teachers assumed this from him. racist stereotyping.
      • 'BLOODY NON-DYSLEXICS...WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?' - colloquial, light hearted way to end text- rhetorical question.
      • 'Brunel University...professor' these words show that despite his dyslexia and challenges faced, he achieved success and got a high status role.
    • STRUCTURE
      • Structural topic shifts.
      • 'IN MANY WAYS, BEING DYSLEXIC IS A NATURAL WAY TO BE' -- 'WHAT'S UNNATURAL IS THE WAY WE READ AND WRITE.' - natural and unnatural, links 2 paragraphs.
      • Circular structure. begins and ends with 'WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS'...etc.'
      • At the end gives direct advice to reader.
      • Chrono-logical
    • METHODS
      • Anecdotes.
      • Clear, direct language- colloquial and informal.
      • Direct and reported speech.
      • Punctuation- specifically Colon:
      • Short sentences for impact.
      • Patterned sentences e.g pairs of ideas- rule of 3.
      • Inclusive pronouns, collective pronouns. Direct Address.
      • Encorouging, positive tone.

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