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From A Game of Polo With A Headless Goat
From A Game of Polo With A Headless Goat
Emma Levine is a journalist, travel writer, broadcaster and documentary maker. Levine had always
traveled throughout her life and experienced the culture and traditions of many different nations.
Her passion for cricket led her to explore womens cricket in Pakistan, where womens activities were
limited by their tradition and religion. During her time there she also explored other traditional sports. A
new passion was born.
In 1997 she welwellllll set off on a 15 month excursion to study what keeps ancient sports alive. She
traveled throughout Asia, when she returned, she wrote a series of pieces narrating her journey.
Note Summary
Form/ Text type & Purpose: Travel writing, to inform the reader of unknown tradition and concepts and
introducing various issues. Levine chooses to explore this using sports and other traditional forms of
entertainment.
Audience: Emma Levine does not specify her targeted audience although she hopes to appeal to
travelers. Not only does she write to inform travelers, her writing style suggests that she attempts to fulfill
her readers general interests, promoting her travels and the choices they have.
Techniques: Levine generally incorporates an informative tone throughout her narrative. Her narrative
draws the reader in while providing factual information to satisfy external interest in various aspects of the
culture she is exploring.
The extract from A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat also consists of a large build up where Levine
experiments with first hand pessimism but also includes reassurance.
The extracts pace is changed to build tension during and after the race.
Paragraph 1-3 / Build up
Paragraph 1 Optimism, author promotes her own, Yaqoob and Iqbals excitement.
Well open the car boot well join the cars. Brief description of what will happen and Levines
expectations. Builds immediate excitement and enthusiasm for race and the readers expectation of
instant action.
Works effectively with
Paragraph 2 Contrast in tone between The two ladssuddenly fired up with enthusiasm in which
Levine narrates the creation of new enthusiasm within locals (her guides) to reflect on the reader and the
rest of the paragraph
Use of eternity hyperbole to exaggerate impatience and derived emotions such as boredom
the only action was gazed around at us. Hopeless tone, at the point of giving up, is a let down to the
reader
The contrast emphasizes the climax in paragraph 7
Paragraph 3 Alternatively, Levine builds hope and optimism in paragraph three, coming, coming the
locals replied
Line 12: I was beginning to lose faith lads remained confident holds elements of first hand pessimism/
loss in faith and witnessed optimism in the form of reassurance. The effect creates suspense further
building the impact of the Climax.