Questions and Answers
How old was the narrator's mother when she got married?
Fourteen
The narrator's father was a king.
True
What did people think when the narrator's mother smiled at her wedding?
she was quite stupid.
The narrator explains that he became a disappointment.
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What does the narrator's father say to his son when he sees another young boy win?
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The winning boy's father is called King Pinky.
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Who is the narrator with during his scattered memory of childhood skipping stones along the beach?
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The narrator's father is described as 'a short man' and 'built like a __________.'
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What does it mean when the narrator's mother is 'sworn to be fruitful'?
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What does the text suggest when it says, 'If she were ugly, there were always slave girls and serving boys.'?
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Study Notes
Narrator's Family Background
- The narrator's mother married at the young age of fourteen, highlighting a common practice of early marriages in historical contexts.
- The narrator's father is a king, establishing his royal lineage and significant societal status.
Initial Impressions and Expectations
- At the narrator's mother's wedding, her smile led others to perceive her as "quite stupid," suggesting societal expectations of intelligence and behavior in women.
- The narrator acknowledges his own disappointment to his father, indicating a strained father-son relationship and familial pressures.
Father-Son Dynamics
- During a competition, the narrator's father comments, "That is what a son should be," after witnessing another boy's success, reflecting his expectations for masculinity and achievement in his son.
Characters and Relationships
- The winning boy's father is identified as King Peleus, correcting the misconception related to another name, King Pinky, illustrating the importance of accurate character identification.
- The narrator recalls a fragment of his childhood memory, particularly skipping stones on the beach, signifying innocence and nostalgia shared with his mother.
Physical Attributes and Fertility
- The narrator describes his father as a "short man" built like a bull, reinforcing a strong physique often associated with kingly strength and dominance.
- The phrase "sworn to be fruitful" concerning the narrator's mother signifies her role as a queen, indicating her fertility necessary for producing heirs.
Themes of Power and Abuse
- The statement about "if she were ugly, there were always slave girls and serving boys" hints at the potential exploitation of power within the king's household, alluding to themes of child abuse, authority misuse, illicit relations, and complexity of sexual orientation.
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Description
Test your knowledge on Chapter 1 of 'The Song of Achilles' with these flashcards. Explore key aspects of the narrator's family background and early life experiences. Challenge yourself to recall specific details and themes from the text.
