Just wanted to share an English SAC that I did last term… Was an in class SAC so yes I read it now and see my mistakes.. But have given it to you guys as i gave it to my teacher.. got 27/30 (A+) for it! so pretty happy! Enjoy
Written Explanation
This piece is in the form of a letter to the draughts of the wife mentioned in ‘The Closing Down Of Summer” by Alistair Macleod. To write from the wife’s point of view was chosen because she is only mentioned a few times in the short story and I wanted to reflect her thoughts and feeling on her relationship with her husband in contrast with what is said about it. The target audience is adults but more so females who may be able to relate.
The form of a letter was chosen as I wanted it to be directed toward her draughts. The letter is written in sections as at the time of her writing it she was sick so she would write when she was feeling well and no one was around. The sections also allow more freedom to make it a less formal letter and easier to just write what was on her mind, also showing that there was time between entries. To reflect Macleod’s styles the setting was kept the same as the original story. Also information was drawn out of other stories eg. About fishing being a part of their past etc. Also showing how things get passed though families, the house in this case and also marrying miners. The use of Gaelic sayings and quotes was also to reflect Macleod’s style. The language in the letter includes imagery to reflect Macleod the shorter sentences to make what she is going to say feel more urgent to the reader. Some parts of the letter is the memories of the life, but part are expressing how she feels now.
To write the piece like this was chosen as it would come from my heart, personal experience could be drawn on and also future concerns. The prompt was interpreted as; Landscape = her heart / relationships, Community = Wife’s of miners, Influences = Men / fathers.
The landscape of their hearts is influences by their fathers / men in their lives and this doesn’t just impact one person.
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The following letter is from a miners wife. It was intended for her daughters, after her death and was found in her hands as she died. The Gaelic is translated as follows: Tha gaol agam ort – “I love you” , Tha gaol agam ort-fhein – “I Love you too” and An ni chi na big, s e ni na big – “What the little ones see, the little ones do”
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
My daughters, I do not know how long I have left with you, life has taken most everything from me. I feel that this letter is the last think I have to do and then I will be free from this earth. I want to share and explain something to you.
My father was not there for my birth, I was born into a mining family my father spent many months away from home. He was not there from the beginning till the end. He missed my first words and steps, he wasn’t always there for my birthday, hardest of all the mines took him before he gave me away on my wedding day. I missed the strength of my father, the security and stability he is meant to offer. I missed his voice and his arms. This has forever left a mark on my heart. When I was younger and the summer tourist came, I, on many occasions, was so close to going home with one of the young men. I cannot explain the emptiness that I felt. The longing for home to come home and be a part of my life, like a father is meant to be. At night my heart would ache and feel as if it was going to crack into a million tiny parts at any moment. Tha gaol agam ort, the words every girls needs to hear from her father, that I never heard.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
The relationship I had with my father followed me into the arms of my marriage. My need for male attention is the most likely cause of taking vows so young. But that was where the problems started. I didn’t what it was like to feel the love of a man, so I pushed your father away. I had trouble trusting your father while he was away mining. I never felt worthy of his love. Why would this man want to love me, when I had never been worthy of my father’s love? Slowly, together we worked though all this, but the one thing that would never change was the constant reminder of my father. I married into the only thing I knew, mining. Every time your father was away working my heart would begin to ache again. The kind of ache that only the old people would experience, but my heart was far beyond my years.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
My girls, you must know Tha gaol agam ort. I am writing these to you because I care. You are all reaching the age where you will soon be swept off you feet by some young man, but I’m not so sure I’ll be here. The decision of who you spend the rest of your life with is something that will affect not only you but also your children and maybe their children. The commitment you make could change generation. I will writer these to you when I am at my strong and no one else is around, it is cruel of this world to be taking me so young. But you canoe treat an illness when you don’t know what it is. Maybe my heart which is far beyond its years has finally broken into a million tiny parts.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
I remember what it was like when I first married you father. It filled that emptiness inside me. We walked together, sung together, did gardening together and made love. The nights seemed so short when he was home and our love was all night long. Those memories were a long time ago, yet feel as if they were yesterday. The touch of his arms around me as i sang to him. But those days are gone. The distance between us is in miles is less that the distance between us emotionally and physically. I lost him to the men of the mines. They are the ones that get to sleep in the same room as him, they see him more than I they are the ones who now have this relationship. It all started with my mother’s grandfather, he was the first in our family to leave the water, the fish and the boats to head for the miner. Because of this his daughter married what she knew, a miner, then I married what i knew, a miner. An ni chi na big s e ni na big, you may not be little anymore but thats what I worry about.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
The heart is a majestic art of all of us it like the untamed bush land but this bush land is subject to many changes, from animals, weather and humans. The way this land was created is not how it stays many of the changes that occur can not be undone easily. The men in the lives of us are what shape our hearts. It’s what effects our relationships. No matter how you feel always remember tha gaol agam ort and your father may not have said it so I’ll say it for him tha goal agam ort-fhein.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
I do not want you to think that i am the only one this has affected. Many of the miner’s wife’s feel the same and have the same problems in their relationships. Many hours have been spent talking about this. While our husbands are away we seek comfort in each other.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
The reason I tell you this is an ni chi na big, s e ni na big. I don’t want you to go through the same thin. Think about these things as you look at mean and reach the age of marriage. You could break the chains of bondage. Your decision will impact the lives of your children this is not to say i don’t want you to follow your heart, I do. Just be careful.
O o o o o o o o o o o o o
My girls, I feel this will be my last entry in this letter to you. Now that I have shared this I feel I may go.
Always remember Tha gaol agam ort, Tha gaol agam ort, Tha gaol agam ort
[ Shortly after this last entry was written she passed away with all her family around her. Her daughters when on with their lives, one marring a fisherman, the other left for the states and the last one lives in the family home married to a minder and looking after her father. All are happy and value the parting letter from their mother.]
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