‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’ Passage Analysis PDF

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A passage analysis from unit 1/2 english in 2016 from the text 'Things We Didn't See Coming'....

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Jayne Tyack

Passage Analysis

26/01/2015

‘Things We Didn’t See Coming’ Passage Analysis Every person, no matter how old, needs the security and support of another person at some point in their lifetime, particularly during times of uncertainty and no control. This is a point Amsterdam makes clear in this extract of Things We Didn’t See Coming. The extract sees the protagonist and his father, Otis, anxiously awaiting the dreaded Y2K crisis; a result of the failure of humanity, and in Otis’ opinion, “a system that’s hopelessly short-sighted”. Despite departing from the warmth, safety and security of his grandparent’s house to be with his father on this stressful night, the protagonist fails to understand what is happening around him and why Otis is extremely paranoid about this new year in particular. Otis attempts to shed some light regarding the situation, saying “We didn’t worry about the right things. We know we aren’t careful enough and that’s about all we know. That’s what I’m trying to protect us from.” In the eyes of Otis, mankind is a “limited animal” who fails to prepare for the possibilities of the future and has an inability to learn from the past. The protagonist however, remains lacking an understanding of the current ordeal, highlighting his innocence and naivety due to being at a young age. Being a child, ‘doomsday’ is the least of the protagonist’s worries unlike his adult counterparts who are dreading the uncertainty of the future – particularly Otis. Confronted by the crisis that lays ahead, Otis continues to ride a rollercoaster of emotions, failing to contain his thoughts within. Although the protagonist is unable to make sense of his father’s opinions, Otis continues on his current tangent, with his thoughts surrounded by anger turning into ones of worry, “I worry about your life, what’s going to happen to you.” In the face of uncertainty and complete powerlessness, Otis fears what the future holds for his son, displaying that family is an important factor in life, and that families always need to look out for each other. In a matter of moments Otis’ thought patterns begin to take a dark, aggressive turn, explaining to the protagonist that “there’ll be breakdowns that can’t be fixed. There will be be more diseases that can’t be fixed… And you’ll be stuck taking care of a fat generation of useless parents.” Reiterating his earlier argument that we have not learnt from the past or prepared for the future due to being a “limited animal” with a “system that’s hopelessly short-sighted”. Finalising his rant, Otis outlines that the future is “a hospital, packed with sick people, packed with hurt people, people on stretchers in the halls, and suddenly the lights go out, the water shuts off, and you know in your heart that they’re never coming back on.” At this point, Otis’ thoughts have taken a turn for the worse, however it is the protagonist’s innocent question “How do I prepare for that?” that sends Otis spiralling into an emotional breakdown. Through Otis’ breakdown, Amsterdam suggests that adults too experience emotional breakdowns particularly during times of great uncertainty and distress. To cope with his current state, Otis pulls the protagonist into a tight “bear hug” repeating “I’m sorry” over and over. Although the protagonist may not understand that Otis is apologising for being powerless in the outcome of his future and being uncertain as to what the future holds, the hug enables Otis to search for security and comfort from the one person close to his heart. In attempt to calm his father down, the protagonist shares the advice he had heard his Grandpa give many times “Everything will be fine until it’s not. Then we can worry.” These wise words go unheard, yet create a feeling of warmth and reassurance, despite the father remaining in a poor emotional state. The bond shared between the

Jayne Tyack

Passage Analysis

26/01/2015

protagonist and Otis enables Amsterdam to demonstrate that family and support is of high importance, and that at some stage, every one searches for the security they need to continue on with life, even when a crisis pushes them to the limit.

Word Count: 675...