ENG215H1 Lecture Notes - Alistair Macleod
Document Summary
About endings and losses: end of summer- end of particular season. Its closing down, meaning something bad is going to happen: marked at the beginning that it"s coming to an end, common theme of death and loss. Everything is dying cuz of august heat. Narrator sees himself as caught btwn life and death. Awareness of the end of his own life: ex. coffin waiting in grave for one more. End of way of life/tradition: own sons won"t go down to the mining shaft, they will be far removed from physical life. Sons will go to school and only physical activity will be exercise. Gender based as it"s the sons that will go to university. The traditions that were being lost were normally upheld by men. University is gender inclusive so it includes daughters: gaelic culture of which he"s born is being lost. Hope that the traditions won"t be radically erased as they remember the gaelic songs.
