New
New
Year 10
AQA
‘After Dark’: exploring Murakami’s extended metaphor
I can analyse Murakami's use of semantic field and extended metaphor.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
‘After Dark’: exploring Murakami’s extended metaphor
I can analyse Murakami's use of semantic field and extended metaphor.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A semantic field is a group of words linked together via their meaning.
- Semantic fields can help to create extended metaphors.
- Murakami uses the semantic field of biology in the opening of 'After Dark'.
- Murakami uses the semantic field of biology to characterise the city as a living organism via extended metaphor.
- Murakami emphasises the dynamic, interconnected nature of the city.
Keywords
Cumulative - increasing as new additions are added
Semantic field - a group of words related in meaning
Extended metaphor - a metaphor that extends multiple lines of a text
Dynamic - characterised by constant change or activity
Common misconception
Students may misinterpret Murakami's semantic field and assume the text is a horror, mystery or thriller story.
If you really break down Murakami's use of semantic field, his word choice is more centered around dynamism of a living organism.
You could use a visualiser to show students how you found the semantic field in the extract when giving feedback for Learning Cycle 1.
Teacher tip
Equipment
For this lesson you will need a copy of the opening paragraph from Chapter 1 of Haruki Murakami's 'After Dark'.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
Download starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
Which group of words are most related in meaning?
love, hate, envy
car, rose, walk
Q2.
What theme links all of these words: river, sea, sand, grass?
the beach
love
Q3.
What is a metaphor?
comparing two things using the word 'like' or 'as'
the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line
Q4.
What is a possible meaning of the following metaphor: 'Her voice is sunshine.'?
she speaks in a high pitch
she speaks calmly
Q5.
What does tone mean?
how fast or slow you read a text
the style of a text
Q6.
What does 'perceptive analysis' mean?
analysing similes and metaphors in a text
zooming into any word from the text
Exit quiz
Download exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
What is a semantic field?
a metaphor that extends over multiple lines of a text
something that is characterised by constant change or activity
Q2.
Why might a writer use a semantic field?
to create a dull image of something
to create a fleeting image of something
Q3.
In 'Ozymandias', Shelley uses the semantic field of ...
wealth.
love.
Q4.
Why might Murakami have used the semantic field of biology in 'After Dark'?
to create a mysterious atmosphere
to introduce the laboratory setting
Q5.
Through the use of an extended metaphor, what effect does Murakami create in 'After Dark'?
he presents the city as slow-moving
he shows the city is a wild animal
Q6.
Which word adds to the image of the city as dynamic in Murakami's 'After Dark'?
nucleus
skeletal