A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat

Paragraph 8: The road straightened and levelled, and everyone picked up speed as we neared the end of the race. But just as they were reaching the finishing line, the hospital gate, there was a near pile-up as the leading donkey swerved, lost his footing and he and the cart tumbled over. The race was over.

- "The road straightened and leveled" - uses of scenery to reflect atmosphere and tone by showing that the town has calmed down and sentences have grown longer since roads have 'straightened'. -"The race was over." - short sentence to signify the end of the race and how sudden it was. The writer is alternating between short and long sentences to provide contrasting atmospheres and create tension. -There is a sense of shock at the unexpected ending and the audience is made to wonder what will happen next.

Paragraph 9: And then the trouble began. I assumed the winner was the one who completed the race but it was not seen that way by everyone. Apart from the two jockeys and 'officials' (who, it turned out, were actually monitoring the race) there were over a hundred punters who had all staked money on the race, and therefore had strong opinions. Some were claiming that the donkey had fallen because the other one had been ridden too close to him. Voices were raised, fists were out and tempers rising. Everyone gathered around one jockey and official, while the bookmakers were trying to insist that the race should be re-run.

-"And then" - this preposition signifies a shift -"Voices were raised, fists were out and tempers rising"- use of triplet to emphasize the chaos

Paragraph 2: The two lads who had never been interested in this Karachi sport were suddenly fired up with enthusiasm. We waited for eternity on the brow of the hill, me perched in the boot with a zoom lens pointing out. Nearly one hour later I was beginning to feel rather silly when the only action was a villager on a wobbly bicycle, who nearly fell off as he cycled past and gazed around at us.

-"We waited for eternity"- hyperbole of time accentuates her childlike boredom waiting for the race and suggests the impatience of the writer. It also creates anticipation for the reader. -"nearly one hour later..."- The slower pace reduces tension and makes it seem like nothing is going to happen - but the slower parts here make the exciting parts next seem even more intense -"a villager on a wobbly bicycle"- humour and juxtaposition between the crazy race and the wobbly bicycle (anticlimax) -the two opening paragraphs are humorous as Levine juxtaposes the adrenaline of the race and "the lads", who are anxiously anticipating the race. This is then funnily juxtaposed when the highly anticipated race is expected, and the "only action" is a "villager on a wobbly bicycle". This anecdote comforts the reader as they are starting to become more aware of the fact that the situation is somewhat "silly" and "childish" - though this could demonstrate that the team are also somewhat unprepared and unorganised. -Levine could also be juxtaposing the difference in culture that she is yet to become accustomed too.

Paragraph 10: Yaqoob and Iqbal were nervous of hanging around a volatile situation. They agreed to find out for me what was happening ordering me to stay inside the car as they were swallowed up by the crowd. They emerged sometime later. 'It's still not resolved,' said Iqbal, 'but it's starting to get nasty. I think we should leave.' As we drove away, Yaqoob reflected on his driving skills. 'I really enjoyed that,' he said as we drove off at a more sedate pace. 'But I don't even have my licence yet because I'm underage!'

-"Yaqoob and Iqbal"- the use of names to make it more personal so reader can get to know the characters. -"swallowed up by the crowd"- the use of this metaphor puts emphasis on the huge size of the crowd. Also, personification the reader a sense of danger.

Paragraph 3: Several vehicles went past, and some donkey-carts carrying spectators. 'Are they coming?' we called out to them. 'Coming, coming,' came the reply. I was beginning to lose faith in its happening, but the lads remained confident.

-"are they coming?" - tension added to the reader which makes them want to keep reading. -"coming, coming" - repetition but to sense urgency - accentuates the absence of excitement and tension.

Paragraph 6: Yaqoob chose exactly the right moment to edge out of the road and swerve in front of the nearest car, finding the perfect place to see the two donkeys and at the front of the vehicles. This was Formula One without rules, or a city-centre rush hour gone anarchic; a complete flouting of every type of traffic rule and common sense

-"exactly the right moment" - harsh consonants suggest a small hint of danger -Comparison to a familiar event (formula one) so that the reader will have a better idea of her experience. It also emphasises how fast and dangerous it was.

Paragraph 4: Just as I was assuming that the race had been cancelled, we spotted two approaching donkey-carts in front of a cloud of fumes and dust created by some fifty vehicles roaring up in their wake. As they drew nearer, Yaqoob revved up the engine and began to inch the car out of the lay-by. The two donkeys were almost dwarfed by their entourage; but there was no denying their speed — the Kibla donkey is said to achieve speeds of up to 40 kph, and this looked close. The two were neck-and-neck, their jockeys perched on top of the tiny carts using their whips energetically, although not cruelly

-"just as I was assuming"- the word "just" marks a shift in tone to excitement. -"Just as I was" is a complex sentence which further builds tension. -"cloud of fumes"- Vivid imagery - the cloud of fumes suggests something unknown, suspense, excitement and mystery, which makes it intense. -"Yaqoob revved"- prominent 'v' makes the scene more vivid. -"speeds up to 40 kph"- use of numbers gives the reader a clear idea of the speed. The use of facts maintains a feel of reality to the text. The fact that the writer includes facts also shows how she has a tight grasp on the subject and adds to the credibility of the text. Speed also gives a sense of danger. -"the two were neck-and-neck"- the fast pace and monosyllabic words make the imagery more exciting and more vivid.

Paragraph 7: Our young driver relished this unusual test of driving skills. It was survival of the fittest, and depended upon the ability to cut in front of a vehicle with a sharp flick of the steering wheel (no lane discipline here); quick reflexes to spot a gap in the traffic for a couple of seconds; nerves of steel, and an effective horn. There were two races — the motorized spectators at the back; in front, the two donkeys, still running close and amazingly not put off by the uproar just behind them. Ahead of the donkeys, oncoming traffic — for it was a main road — had to dive into the ditch and wait there until we had passed. Yaqoob loved it. We stayed near to the front, his hand permanently on the horn and his language growing more colourful with every vehicle that tried to cut in front. ...

-"survival of the fittest"- hyperbole to show how dangerous and exciting it was. - "-for it was the main road-" - use of parenthesis to add in extra information and change the tone. -"Ahead of the donkeys... until we had passed" - use of long sentences to create the sense that a lot was going on. -"his language was growing more colorful" - euphemism in order to not offend the reader by not saying 'swearing'.

Structure of extract

-It is written in chronological order of events to provide a real time perspective on the events as they unfold before us. -Contrasting use of pace (slow and fast): "Nearly one hour later I was beginning to feel rather silly...", "Vehicles roaring up in their wake". This delivers a sense of momentum to the experience- provides a dramatic slow build-up which is contrasted with the noise and bundle of the actual race. -Contrasting use of tone from comic to serious: from "Wacky races" to "tempers rising". This reflects the speed at which the emotions surrounding the event can switch the serious tone.

Paragraph 11: They both found this hilarious, but I was glad he hadn't told me before; an inexperienced, underage driver causing a massive pile-up in the middle of the highstakes donkey race could have caused problems.

-The final paragraph provides reflection on the excitement of the day's events and is calm in these recollections.

Title: A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat

-The title immediately gives the extract a sense of humour, as the idea of playing polo with a headless goat is ridiculous. This grabs the attention of the reader. -The title also paints an image of mayhem, so the reader expects the texts to be chaotic. This foreshadows what will occur later on and therefore grabs the attention of the reader.

Paragraph 1: We drove off to find the best viewing spot, which turned out to be the crest of the hill so we could see the approaching race. I asked the lads if we could join in the 'Wacky Races' and follow the donkeys, and they loved the idea. 'We'll open the car boot, you climb inside and point your camera towards the race. As the donkeys overtake us, we'll join the cars.' 'But will you try and get to the front?' 'Oh yes, that's no problem.'

-There is no real introduction, and this takes the readers straight into the story as we wonder what is going to be viewed and what the wacky races are. -"turned out to be the crest of the hill so we could see the" - Monosyllabic words create a fast pace, therefore speeding up our reading and creating more excitement. -"the lads" is quite informal, and it suggests that even though she is the only female, she feels a part of the group. -Wacky suggests wildness and a crazy atmosphere, so it shows that people love this wild experience. Again this might seem exotic to the everyday Western readers who are the audience for this piece of writing -"but will you try to get to the front" - use of direct speech to make the reader feel like they're there. She is the one who asks the question which shows that she is the leader.

Paragraph 5: The noise of the approaching vehicles grew; horns tooting, bells ringing, and the special rattles used just for this purpose (like maracas, a metal container filled with dried beans). Men standing on top of their cars and vans, hanging out of taxis and perched on lorries, all cheered and shouted, while the vehicles jostled to get to the front of the convoy.

-semicolon in the first sentence stops us, but also keeps us going. -"horns tooting"- onomatopeia to allow the reader to visualise the chaos and emphasizes the noise of the approaching vehicles. This creates tension. -the repetitive use of commas in the first sentence show how chaotic it is -"horns tooting... special rattles"- triplet to create a sense of the rush and adrenaline of the situation. There are lots of descriptions of sounds to create a vivid scene. -"(like maracas, a metal container filled with dried beans")- use of brackets throughout the text to emphasize the informative nature of the text.

Cultural clashes

Strong cultural contrast throughout the extract draws out the parallels between the Eastern and Western world. the extract is a combination of things that the reader is familiar with (e.g. racing, 'city centre rush hour') and an unusual twist. This juxtaposes the two donkeys.