H is for Hawk

This text is about the writer’s strange and memorable experience of buying a goshawk. She reveals the stun the bird
has brought to her. The description of the bird and her reaction is very linguistic, and as she uses words related to
falconry, it is clear that she has good experience in this subject. Besides, she also keeps the reader involved by the use
of plot twists and by revealing her fickle mindedness.
The onomatopoeia “thump” reflects the cracking sound made by the bird and the box. The simile “box shook as if
someone…” suggests the power of the bird. The word “frowned” is used to describe the owner’s reaction, which shows
that he is taking the bird seriously, which again shows the bird’s dangerous powerfulness.
She uses a series of short sentences “Concentration. Infinite caution….” to create tension. The hyperbole “Infinite
caution.” exaggerates the caution they had to have. The repetition of the sound “thump” suggests that it is a very
important sound to become cautious about. The whole situation is exaggerated using the hyperbole “The last few
seconds before a battle”. All of these cautiousness, anticipation and tension makes the moment of bringing out the bird
more interesting.
She uses a syndetic list “chaotic clatter of wings and feet and talons…” to build a description of its dangerous features.
The repetition “enormous, enormous” illustrates the size of the bird. The alliteration “Barred and beating” describes
the amazing power behind the bird’s wings. The simile “feathers raised like the scattered quills” describes the fearsome
appearance of the bird’s feathers. These dangerous features and its large size suggest that the bird is very
overwhelming.
Her reaction at first sight of the bird is quite exclamatory. The short sentences “She is a conjuring trick. A reptile. A
fallen angel.” describes her reaction of stun. The metaphor, “A fallen angel” and the simile “like gold falling through
water” signifies the beauty of the bird. These all create an image of the wonderful bird and explains why McDonalds
was so stunned by the bird.
McDonalds makes the distinction between the bird’s life before and now, clear. She uses comparatively shorter
sentences “Her world was a…Then it was a box” to describe the bird’s life before. This is contrasted with the longer
sentence “But now it is this; and she…” which describes its life now. This emphasizes how simple the bird’s life was in
the entrapment.
The writing reflects a great deal of respect towards the bird owner. The words “gathered”, “folding”, “anchoring” and
“gripping” shows that the man is in great control of the bird, regardless of it being menace. The detailed description of
how the man brought this hawk up “fed her with scrapes of meat…., waiting patiently” demonstrates his caring and
nurturing nature. Also, McDonalds’s remark “I loved this man, and fiercely” shows her reliance on him at the moment.
These show the owner’s skills and experience in his work, as he is very good at keeping the bird calm and keeping
people safe from it.
McDonalds creates a twist to baffle the reader. The sentence “It was the wrong bird.” acts as a turning point. The short
sentence “The smaller one.” now underestimates all the stunning descriptions made about the bird by saying that this
is the smaller one. The one-word paragraph “Oh.” describes McDonalds’s reaction to the twist. So, this creates tension
as it indirectly gives a foretaste of what the larger bird will be like.
McDonalds also provides a linguistic description of the larger bird and describes her exclamation. The sentence “And
dear God, it did.” expresses her eternal shock on seeing the bird. The metaphor “sort of madwoman in the attack”
illustrates the bird’s fierceness. Once again, a syndetic list is used “smokier and darker and much, much bigger…” to
describe the bird in detail.
The sentences “Some madness from a distant country. I didn’t recognize her” makes the bird look like an alien to her.
The phrase “This isn’t my hawk” is repeated to highlight her urge to make this decision declarative. The oxymoron
“Slow panic.” demonstrates her nervousness at the situation. The repeated use of questions with ellipsis reinforces the
tone of hesitation. All of these illustrates her fickle mindedness.