Letter to daniel

The tone of happiness and joy reinforces the universal theme of fatherhood effectively and the closeness of the bond between father and son is clearly established in the opening paragraphs.

The setting also has a significant role to play in triggering an emotional response from the reader in the opening paragraphs. Keane creates a peaceful and tranquil setting in the opening paragraphs through his word choice. He says " there is a soft quiet in our apartment". This highlights the calm silence of his apartment and also emphasises the

calmness and peacefulness of their home, which triggers emotions of happiness and joy in the reader.

Keane goes on to create an atmosphere of hope and luck in the following paragraphs when he talks about how Daniel is born in a foreign country. He describes how the Chinese staff were repeating " so lucky, so lucky" and how one man told him Daniels birth was "good Feng Shui". This establishes that children are perceived as a good thing all over the world and the "good Feng Shui" highlights that it is a positive sign.

The Setting outside the home as well as inside is described as idyllic. Keane describes the setting outside the home with lots of detail, he says things like " the sun is already slanting through the tower blocks", "flat silver waters", " somewhere out there the last stars flickering towards the other side of the world" and "glorious dawn sky". All these pieces of description help the reader to visualise how the world is in harmony with the joy and happiness within the home.

As the letter continues the tone alters as Keane reflects on his life as a foreign war correspondent for the BBC. Keanes use of language is very effective in establishing a negative mood in the next few paragraphs. He describes Sharja, a girl aged twelve who has lost both her parents and says "guiding me through the grey ruins of her home, everything was gone". The setting he describes is in complete contrast with that of the first third of the letter where he talks about his comfortable family life.

Fatherhood allows Keane to appreciate the value of life. He says, "I wonder how I could ever have thought glory and prizes were sweeter than life". This suggests to the reader that his priorities have changed and it highlights his pride towards his son.

Keanes attention to detail when he talks about the dangerous and distressing things he has seen while working as a war correspondent makes them so much more realistic. An example of this would be when he speaks about the cases of child suffering he has witnessed. He says, "Ten-year-old Andi Mikail dying from napalm burns" and "Juste, two-years-old and blind, dying from malnutrition". By naming the children and giving a graphic depiction of isolated cases, it makes a bigger impact on the reader and does not allow them to shy away from the horrors of war and the grim reality of life.

Keane goes on to describe how a woman and her three young children had been beaten to death in a churchyard in Rwanda. He says, "The children had died holding on to their mother". This emphasises how important the relationship between parent and child is. It also relates to Keans experience as a father and how he says, " Daniel, these memories explain some of the fierce protectiveness I feel for you". This highlights the feelings Keane has towards his son and suggests to the reader he would do anything to protect him.

Keane effectively continues the tone set by his experiences as a war correspondent and having witnessed children's suffering to reflect on his own childhood in the third stage of the letter. The letter changes from first person narrative to third person and Keane begins the paragraph saying, " It begins thirty five years ago in a big city". This sounds like the start of a gritty fairytale.

Setting is important in this third of the letter as it describes Keane's birth and also his childhood. He describes his mother being alone in a "big city". This conveys an idea of loneliness and isolation and is as though Keane is distancing himself from the situation being described, establishing that this is a story that many can identify with, it is a universal experience.

As the story goes on the reader discovers Keane's father is an alcoholic and died before he met him. Keane speaks about the regret he has about not meeting his father. He says "And all the things they might have wished to say ... left unspoken". This is very thought provoking as he is describing something that is very private and personal and because it is a sensitive subject it makes it even more thought provoking.

The sympathetic tone of this part of the letter reinforces the idea of regret and it evokes emotions of sadness from the reader.

By the final stage of the letter Keane reflects on the birth of his son and the tone changes again to one of optimism and hope. Keane reflects on all aspects of his life to date and begins to not only accept but also forgive his father in spite of his faults. He says, "I thought of your grandfather". This highlights that Keane has forgiven him as he is talking about him as if he is still one of the family.

Keane says, "foolish though it may seem, I hoped that in some way he could hear across the infinity between the living and the dead your proud statement of arrival." This reinforces the idea of acceptance.

Keane goes on to describe how he hopes for "New beginnings". This establishes that he is looking forward to having a good future with his son and it also highlights the sense of hope he feels.

The reader can identify with this joyous occasion and is left with a sense of hope.

To conclude, "Letter to Daniel" is a non-fiction text which triggers an emotional response in the reader. Through the process of recounting his experience, Keane highlights many universal themes the reader can relate to such as the importance of family. It is a profound piece of journalism which delivers a universal and thought-provoking message.