Analysing 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'

English

In 'Fiction: Read Around the World', pupils identify and comment on a range of language devices in extracts from texts. In 'Fiction: Science Fiction Writing', pupils identify and comment on recurring images and symbolism in texts.

In 'A World at War: Short Stories', pupils read short stories, analysing how authors structure full texts. In 'Fiction: Read Around the World', pupils analyse structural choices in smaller extracts of texts.

Fiction: read around the world

Depiction of scary, confusing or unsettling events or characters placed in danger, including creation of a scary atmosphere through the use of music and sound.

Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

In 'The Cellist of Sarajevo', where does the cellist live?

The pace and order of sentences mirrors the course of the weapon falling.

The writer only uses complex sentences to withhold information for longer.

The writer zooms into the cellist's perspective of the destruction.

What is interesting about the way Galloway structures the opening paragraph of 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?

the restoration of a charred musical manuscript 

What story seems to permeate the opening three paragraphs of 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?

ask yourself why a writer made certain stylistic decisions

What is it important to do when analysing a text?

to emphasise how it had the power to destroy everything in the citizens' lives

to emphasise the universality of the brutality of war  

Why might Galloway have used the verbs "screamed", "splitting" and "exploded" to describe the way the weapon falls in 'The Cellist of Sarajevo'?

someone who composes music to be performed with bass instruments

to give your judgement about how well a writer does something

If something has great velocity, what does it have?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz