Discuss the dramatic devices Willy Russell uses in the zoo scene of ‘Our Day Out’. - page 5
Keywords: essay dramatic devices film our day out
By Jenny on 02/07/2009
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 5 of 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
icily”. The use of the word “icily” makes Briggs seem cold; the beginning of a change of heart for him has been destroyed along with his trust in the children. The word “icily” implies that his heart is once again dispassionate to the children’s plight. On the other hand, “Mrs. Kay raises here eyebrows to heaven”. This gesture seems more ‘what ever am I going to do with you’ than cold, and makes her seem warm and forgiving. Also his use of the word “heaven” is friendlier than “icily” which suggests malice.
Moments later Russell uses another device in Briggs’ speech to the children. The tension is raised by Briggs shouting, a final contrast with Mrs. Kay who talks to the children. “I trusted you …trust from me.” The word trust is repeated 6 times in his speech and he also calls the children “animals” twice, this joins together several things. Firstly, it echoes Briggs’ words in his earlier speech about trust to the children and secondly it comes together with their behaviour being compared to that of caged animals let loose in various parts of the script.
This is basically the underlying theme to the story, the children are ‘caged’ like animals in the inner cities and so don’t know how to behave when they are ‘released’. The points Willy Russell is making is that we would expect wild animals to be (to quote Ronson earlier in the script) “mad an’ wanna kill people” when freed after spending their whole life “in a pit”. So the message he’s trying to get across is why we expect children not to behave similarly when they’ve been treated in the same way.
This script was interesting and enjoyable to explore and I believe that many of its most important elements and messages about education and living in a deprived inner city area are still recognizable and relevant in today’s world.
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