McEwan uses a wide range of language devices in this extract which, combined, effectively create and reinforce his meanings and ideas. To start with, the opening sentence of the extract; “The beginning is simple to mark”; drags the reader into the novel. This narrative hook poses the question, the beginning of what? Gaining the readers curiosity and forcing them to read on. The word "beginning" allows us an insight into the importance of this event, because the narrator must have analysed it many times in order to find the moment in which it all began, and so it is obviously a significant period of his life. And surely if the beginning is "simple", what is to come must be complex. The reader joins Joe, the narrator, as he and his lover Clarissa are enjoying a romantic picnic in the countryside. Bathed in sunlight under a turkey oak, "partly protected from a strong gusty wind", the relationship between the two is yet to be revealed, but McEwan's use of the phrase "partly protected", seems to imply that these two people have been protected from such horrors until this moment. Therefore, Joe’s narrative is plagued with phrases that suggest disaster and that the events of this chapter will have huge consequences and they will be life changing; “What idiocy, to be racing into this story and its labyrinths, springing away from our happiness among the fresh spring grasses by the oak”.
McEwan’s use of imagery and figurative language in this extract encapsulates the main themes and ideas of the novel. On simplistic level imagery helps the reader visualise the setting and scenery clearly, which has the effect of drawing us in and making us feel as though as we are there, for example a strong picture is painted before the cry is heard, the reader can almost taste the air, and feel the “cool neck” of the 1987 Doumas Gassac as they themselves clutch the corkscrew. On a deeper level, the imagery is largely specific to the scenery and weather. Before the disaster takes place, the scene is still in a state of grace and a picture of calm. From then on the wind is a constant feature that symbolises the danger that lies ahead, “There was a shout again, and a child’s cry, enfeebled by the wind that roared in the tall trees along the hedgerows”. What is more, the wind also symbolises the unpredictability of fate since it is described as being an uncontrollable force, which causes anxiety in both the reader and the narrator. The wind is a natural element, but it is ruthless and is used to increase the sense of danger.
McEwan’s use of sentence structure also contributes towards the effectiveness of this opening chapter to being addictive. The author uses short sentences in places to create excitement and to get the adrenaline of the reader pumping, which makes turning the next page irresistible, “I was running towards it. The transformation was absolute”.
A further significant aspect of this extract is the strong tone and atmosphere that develops throughout. The idea of catastrophe is always present throughout the opening chapter as it is used to create excitement in the reader and to fuel the craving of needing more information. Nonetheless, there are also many other unknowns such as the “relationship” between Joe and Jed, which develops through the balloon accident, which is described by Joe as “Rushing towards each other like lovers”, and establish an obsessive tone since Joe seems to be focusing on Jed; “The encounter that would unhinge us”; and still there is no apparent reason as to why that is.
On the whole, all these points contribute towards creating a stimulating and addictive opening chapter. The main stimulant being, the need for more information..
