Michael Morrpurgo Sympathy

English Assessment #2

1) How does Michael Morpurgo evoke sympathy for refugees in his novel shadow?

Michael Morpurgo evokes sympathy for refugees in his novel shadow by utilizing emotive language to express the cruel conditions the refugees experience whilst travelling to Tehran in the back of a big pickup truck. The refugee’s situation is very partitioned because whilst their home country is at war, Refugees are forced to flee the horrible living conditions and seek safety. Michael Morpurgo uses emotive words to describe this accurately as well as how soulfully the refugees are being treated whilst being held captive inside the pickup truck. Aman says “just the sound of moaning and crying and praying… And there was no air to breathe either, that was the worst of it, people were coughing and choking” (Morpurgo, 2010:
Sympathy is evoked quite frequently in the chapter “The Little Red Train”. This is due to Ahmed the little boy from Pakistan, dying on the dangerous journey to Tehran, Ahmed’s mother is full with grief that she begins to scream “it was like a cry of pain from deep inside her, a crying that I knew would never end for her. I never heard such a dreadful sound before and I hope I never will again.” (Morpurgo, 2010: page 181) The quote incorporates very detailed descriptive language, which applies aesthetic value to the text begetting sympathy for refugees. The quote suggests that Ahmed’s mother is so racked with grief and tremor because her precious boy is dead. When refugees are travelling great distances they always have a reason – Ahmed’s mother and father were travelling to Tehran to provide their son with safer living circumstances. The Sympathy which Michael Morpurgo expresses, originates from the saddest chapters incorporated