Night

June '22 Paper 2R

Paragraph 1: 'The Psychological Effects of Illness'

. "I can’t say whether it could be the twentieth or the twelfth"
– The alliteration between "twentieth" and "twelfth" emphasizes the
narrator's struggle with pinning down specific details of the past.
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– This speaks to the fluidity and uncertainty of the human memory which
makes feeble dates lose their importance, especially when grappling
with larger, existential crisis.
– The number twelve is closely associated with cycles, such as the 12
months in a year or the 12 zodiac signs.
– This could symbolize how the narrator is trapped in cycles of memory
and reflection; suggesting an ongoing unresolved process in her
psyche.
– On the other hand, the number twenty is a larger more rounded
number that often connotes a sense of completeness and can mark an
emotional milestone.
– This duality presents the narrator's confrontation with the unknown as
she struggles to navigate the murky space between memory and
forgetting, waking and dreaming, sanity and madness.

. "madness, which could be lying right beside me there in the night."

– By personifying "madness" as a companion in the night, Munro
reflects the fragility of the narrator's mental state and the heightened
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self-awareness that comes with introspection in solitude.
– The "night", often associated with the unknown and the unconscious,
becomes a space where the narrator's hidden fears and suppressed
thoughts surface.
– The narrator’s awareness of "madness" as a potential presence
reflects how the stillness of night amplifies psychological vulnerability.
– This line could also be interpreted as pointing to a polarity within the
narrator. Madness is not necessarily an external presence but an
aspect of herself that she fears might arise.
– The notion of something "lying" beside her could reflect her
relationships with others, especially the close but complex
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connections in her life. In this context, madness might represent the

hidden tensions or unresolved issues that often underlie intimate
relationships, such as the narrator's relationship with her sister.
– The portrayal of the narrator’s insomnia and its psychological effects
creates a sense empathy in the reader, drawing them into her
vulnerable state. It evokes a shared human fear of losing control over
one’s mind and confronting existential questions.

Paragraph 2: 'Narrator's Relationship With Her Sister'

. "my game was to watch until suffocation or curiosity drove her out"
– The “game” becomes a metaphor for the narrator’s early attempts to
make sense of power dynamics, mortality, and the mysteries of human
behavior, themes that continue to resonate in her adult reflections.
– The description of the “game” indicates a certain detachment in the
relationship. Rather than interacting openly, the narrator engages in a
silent, almost predatory form of observation.
– The noun "suffocation" suggests a desire to stifle or control,
potentially stemming from unresolved feelings between the sisters.
– "Curiosity", on the other hand, reflects an inherent interest and
connection; pointing to the complexity of their bond, where love and
rivalry coexist.
– This echoes the story’s broader themes of fear, curiosity, and the
fragile interplay between power and vulnerability in both childhood and
adulthood.

. "her own friends, her own games."

– The use of anaphora reveals key aspects of the narrator’s relationship
with her sister, particularly highlighting feelings of separation,
alienation, and emotional distance.
– The phrase of "her own" highlights the narrator's focus on her sister's
autonomy, perhaps reflecting her own internal struggle as she feels
sidelined in her sister's evolving social life.
– As the sisters once shared their own "games", the sister's
independence might elicit a sense of insecurity in the narrator as she
feels like she's being replaced out of her sister's life with her newly
made "friends".
– This marks a shift from a shared childhood world to a more
individualistic and fragmented relationship.
– This line conjures empathy, nostalgia, and unease, highlighting
emotional disconnection and prompting the reader to reflect on their
own experiences of growing apart from those that were once close to
them.

Paragraph 3: 'Narrator's Relationship With Her Father'

. "effect of the ether"
 – By attributing the narrator’s intrusive thoughts to be the "effect of the
ether", an example of alliteration, the father dismisses her emotional
experience as something artificially induced, rather than something
rooted in reality.
– The father’s reference to the "effect of the ether" highlights his own
tendency to numb or distance himself from uncomfortable emotions or
realities.
– The father's dismissal suggests a broader pattern of emotional
repression. His reliance on ether to numb his own pain may mirror how
he deals with difficult emotional realities—by pushing them away or
avoiding them.
– As the figure of authority, he assumes that his perspective is the
correct one and that her experiences or perceptions can be easily
explained away. This reflects a hierarchical relationship where the
father’s authority is prioritized over the narrator’s subjective reality.
– In a broader societal context, his reaction may indicate a traditional,
dismissive attitude toward women’s emotions, often trivializing or
undermining them.

. "It could not happen, in the way that a meteor could not hit our house"
– A "meteor" is an external force, something that comes from space,
beyond the realm of human experience or understanding.
– This metaphor likens the narrator's intrusive thoughts to a "meteor",
highlighting how the father perceives his daughter’s fears as foreign or
alien, something that doesn’t belong in her normal emotional state.
– The daughter’s deep-seated anxiety and intrusive thoughts are met
with a rational, impersonal response, indicating that the father may
struggle to understand the gravity of her emotional world, viewing it as
something formidable.
– The father’s statement is likely motivated by a desire to protect his
daughter from the distress of her own thoughts.
– However, his method of reassurance—the likening of her fear to an
improbable event—conveys that he is more focused on alleviating the
outward symptoms of her distress (the anxiety) rather than engaging
with the deeper emotional or psychological causes of it.
– The narrator's strained relationship with her father prompts the reader
to reflect on the impact of parental disengagement and belittling of
their children's fears.

Paragraph 4: 'The Setting'

. "a blizzard had to be blowing"
– Through the use of pathetic fallacy, Munro describes the external
storm which mirrors the narrator's internal chaos, and the comparison
reinforces how trapped she feels in her emotional experience.
– The idea that a blizzard "had to be blowing" demonstrates that the
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narrator's difficult experience is not just a fleeting moment but
something inevitable and intense.
– A blizzard, with its intense winds, swirling snow, and obscured
visibility, embodies chaos, confusion, and the inability to find clear
direction. In context of the narrator's emotional state, the blizzard
mirrors her psychological turmoil and disorientation.
– The physical barrier created by the "blizzard" parallels the emotional
distance between the narrator and her family, adding to her sense of
alienation.

. "The birds began to stir, and then to sing"

– The use of sibilance subtly introduces the narrator's mood shift,
depicting a newfound sense of peace, clarity, and control over her
thoughts.
– The soft 's' sounds in "stir" and "sing" create a soothing auditory
experience, as if the rhythm of the words is mimicking the peaceful
natural environment around the narrator.
– "Birds" illustrate the narrator's potential for recovery, emotional
balance, and a harmonious connection with herself and the world,
offering hope for her psychological healing.
– The verb "stirring" suggests a subtle awakening or the beginning of
change, while the "singing" symbolizes a fuller emergence into clarity
and calm.
– The birds "singing" mirrors the reader’s own possible relief at seeing
the narrator regain control over her inner world. This is a moment of
resolution and reassurance that every dark period of one's life comes
one with more hope.