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How do the authors of 'A Hero' and 'An Unknown Girl' convey emotions in their texts and how do they make you respond upon reading them?
Throughout both ‘A Hero’ and ‘An Unknown Girl’ the writers use many techniques to engage the reader and to convey the emotions and feelings of the characters. Throughout this essay, I will be exploring the different literary techniques used and developed by the writers. I will also look at how the two texts contrast each other, and on a personal level, how they make me and others respond upon reading them.
To begin with, I think that the titles of both ‘A Hero’ and ‘An Unknown Girl’ make a significant impact on the reader and influence the feelings the reader has towards the characters throughout the rest of the passages. In ‘An Unknown Girl’ on a simple level, the title seems to refer to the girl referred to in the poem that is applying the henna. However, I personally think that after analyzing the poem at great depth it becomes apparent that the title is not only for the girl who is applying the henna, who remains unnamed and therefore unknown throughout. Rather it can also define the persona, and thus Moniza Alvi herself, as she is a stranger amidst her own people on account of having lived her whole life elsewhere. When examining the poem with this in mind, it helps to convey the deep sense of detachment and dissatisfaction that Moniza Alvi must feel. The dilemma which she is faced with is a common phenomenon with bi-cultural marriages becoming more and more common. What Alvi feels, the sense of detachment from either of the two countries she belongs to is something that some of us can relate to as more and more children are born to parents who immigrated to other countries and therefore have lived all their lives in a foreign home. Neither country will whole heartedly accept them, nor can they accept only one country. They are torn between two worlds, two different realities, each of which constitutes half of their identity leaving them feeling desolate and alone.