Pigeon English Violence Flashcards

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"You could see the blood. It was darker than you thought."
This quote is also used at the end of the book, foreshadowing Harri's death and emphasising the circular narrative. It also shows how Harri's idea of blood before he saw this was much more cartoon-ish, emphasising the idea of him being innocent.
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"...You can pretend like you're a bird."
The idea of the bird symbolises freedom, and how Harri, Mama and Lydia have moved from Ghana, a place where they cannot get very far in life, to a place even worse. The bird also shows how it's impossible for humans to just fly away.
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"I chooked myself with the fork. It was only in the arm."
Harri is seeing how much it would hurt to get chooked with a fork and he says it doesn't hurt that much, when in reality it would hurt a lot more. This relates to the idea of pretending and being childish.
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"X-Fire was teaching us about chooking."
This suggests that X-Fire thinks he is teaching the younger kids an important life lesson, when in reality, he is teaching them to be like him and to lead a life of crime. This relates to the loss of innocence.
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"X-Fire's breath smells like cigarettes and chocolate milk."
The juxtaposition here suggests that although X-Fire and the Dell Farm Crew are acting like adults and doing "adult things" (chooking, etc, hence the cigarettes) they are still children, hence the chocolate milk.
5 of 15
"Children aren't supposed to die, only old people."
Harri's naievety clearly shows here. He thinks that children aren't supposed to die because they have a long life ahead of them, whereas old people have lived long enough. This suggests that Harri is unaware of the violence and danger around him.
6 of 15
"My coffin would be an aeroplane."
This quote suggests that Harri's death would be an escape from the cruel world, and how he wants to fly away, back to Ghana or somewhere else.
7 of 15
"He got excluded for kicking a teacher."
This shows how violent the kids are of the estate. The word kick emphasis how you can get kicked out of the world (die) easily in the estate.
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"Mamma looked at Auntie Sonia's fingers where they were all black and cracked."
The words black and cracked relate to the estate and the future of the children there. Their future is broken, hence the cracked.
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"You're not supposed to talk to Somalis because they're pirates."
This quote suggests the kids don't have the teachers they need. They need to learn about racism and other important things.
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"If I was in the Dell Farm Crew Vilis couldn't abuse me."
Harri wants to join the Dell Farm Crew so that people would stop being mean to him. This is true, but it decreases his chances of a better life. The word abuse has connotations of domestic abuse, which is what Auntie Sonia is getting from Julius.
11 of 15
"Violence always comes to easy to you, that's the problem."
The phrase comes to you suggests that you don't resort to violence, but violence resorts to you as that's how life in broken britain is.
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"He's always slapping her behind. She just lets him do it even when she nearly fell through the door."
Auntie Sonia is getting domestically abused. The word behind has connotations of suprise.
13 of 15
"I pushed the smaller kid over. He fell in the mud."
This quote shows Harri having violence come to him, and his loss of innocence. The phrase fell in the mud suggests how the loss of innocence is portrayed.
14 of 15
"Just stay good for as long as you can, eh? Just stay the way you are."
This quote suggests that everyone will eventually have violence come to them, even kids like Harri. The phrase as long as you can emphasises this.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The idea of the bird symbolises freedom, and how Harri, Mama and Lydia have moved from Ghana, a place where they cannot get very far in life, to a place even worse. The bird also shows how it's impossible for humans to just fly away.

Back

"...You can pretend like you're a bird."

Card 3

Front

Harri is seeing how much it would hurt to get chooked with a fork and he says it doesn't hurt that much, when in reality it would hurt a lot more. This relates to the idea of pretending and being childish.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

This suggests that X-Fire thinks he is teaching the younger kids an important life lesson, when in reality, he is teaching them to be like him and to lead a life of crime. This relates to the loss of innocence.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The juxtaposition here suggests that although X-Fire and the Dell Farm Crew are acting like adults and doing "adult things" (chooking, etc, hence the cigarettes) they are still children, hence the chocolate milk.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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Calista2

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The flashcards are good. I can improve my vocabulary with many special terms. I appreciate you so much. Keep doing it and join smash karts

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