gcse exam styled question

i need helppp with the question “How does the writer use language to describe eating Fantail sweets” and the text they give me to refer off is:
Fantails came in a weird, blue packet shaped like an isosceles triangle with one corner missing. Each individual Fantail was wrapped in a piece of paper detailing a film star’s biography — hence the pun, fan tales. The Fantail itself was a chocolate-coated toffee so glutinous that it could induce lockjaw in a donkey. People had to have their mouths chipped open with a cold chisel. One packet of fantails would last an average human being forever. A group of six small boys could go through a packet during the course of a single afternoon at the pictures, but it took hard work and involved a lot of strangled crying in the dark. Any fillings you had in your second teeth would be removed instantly, while children who still had any first teeth left didn’t keep them long.

Its a 12 mark question and im strugglinn alot on it please help someone!

Reply 1

m_richards

4

Hi, I'm currently taking Eng Lit as an A-Level, so hopefully I can help! :smile:

The writer creates an oxymoron (two contrasting ideas placed together) with the idea of a pact lasting "an average human forever", yet also finishing in one afternoon. The use of an oxymoron here gives the reader two conflicting understandings of how difficult it is to eat the fan sweets, which reflects the idea of struggling to eat these sweets and there being a conflict between the sweet and the eater.
The writer also describes the sweets as "so glutinous that it could induce lockjaw in a donkey". The word "glutinous" has connotations to the 7 deadly sins, therefore presenting the act of eating these sweets as a crime or a sin against dental health. The idea of a donkey experiencing induced lockjaw as a result of these sweets reiterates and emphasises the motif (a recurring phrase and/or idea) of the sweets being difficult to eat, as donkeys aren't considered to be the weakest animals - although they may not be the strongest they do have a relatively high amount of strength compared to other animals.
The writer also likens the shape of the sweets to a triangle "with one corner missing", which, along with the writer later saying that people have "had to have their mouths chipped open", adds to the idea of these sweets taking away a piece of your health, (linking to the first point I made) implies a struggle between keeping yourself in good health and eating these sweets.
The writer also often uses sibilance (alliteration with words beginning with 's' or 'c'). The use of sibilance such as "chocolate-coated", "chipped open with a cold chisel", and "six small boys" presents the act of eating these sweets as really bad, exaggerating it's negative impacts. This extremity can also be seen in the reasoning behind the sweets being named "Fantails". The word fan often has connotations to extreme behaviours carried out by fans, just to see and meet a celeb.

Reply 2

shinwari34

1

Can you please write PEEWRA paragraph for me . Point , Evidence , Explain , Zoom in on a word , Reader , Author .

Reply 3

bhria

1

Original post by chloesaundersss

i need helppp with the question “How does the writer use language to describe eating Fantail sweets” and the text they give me to refer off is:
Fantails came in a weird, blue packet shaped like an isosceles triangle with one corner missing. Each individual Fantail was wrapped in a piece of paper detailing a film star’s biography — hence the pun, fan tales. The Fantail itself was a chocolate-coated toffee so glutinous that it could induce lockjaw in a donkey. People had to have their mouths chipped open with a cold chisel. One packet of fantails would last an average human being forever. A group of six small boys could go through a packet during the course of a single afternoon at the pictures, but it took hard work and involved a lot of strangled crying in the dark. Any fillings you had in your second teeth would be removed instantly, while children who still had any first teeth left didn’t keep them long.

Its a 12 mark question and im strugglinn alot on it please help someone!