Practice - Karl Pilkington Questions

1. Outline two ways in which Pilkington gives you a sense of perspective in the first 8 lines of the text? [2 marks]

Pilkington uses descriptive writing with a direct description of his surroundings to give a sense of first person perspective. Another way he does this is by expressing his thoughts and emotions to give a real idea of what he is feeling.

1. Identify two ways in which the author makes the description of the toad killings memorable. [2 marks]

Pilkington uses diction to make the toad killings more memorable by using words that connote gruesomeness. He also uses imagery through narrating the story in a dramatic manner which creates a key image of toads being killed in the readers head.

1. Select two examples of humour from the text and analyse the effect of each on the reader. [4 marks]

When Pilkington states "all laid out like they were queuing to get on Noah's Ark", it is an example of humour. He creates an image of many dead bugs laid next to each other which is a great way to describe his surroundings in place of direct adjectives. Another example is the goldfish scene when he says "I'm not sure if they're for company or for a snack". While this phrase is funny, it also foreshadows the many animal-based foods to be introduced to the readers in the next paragraph.

1. Outline two ways in which sound plays a role in this scene. (Do not include comments on the use of voice-over here). [2 marks]

Pilkington uses diegetic, asynchronous background sounds of people talking and bell bikes ringing to indicate how these foods are common in this specific area since the sounds effects are very ordinary. He also uses diegetic, synchronous sound when he is eating a packet of chips which shows how unwilling he is to try new things.

1. What is the overall effect of the voice-over in this extract? Select two examples of voice over commentary and analyse their effect on the viewer. [4 marks]

The voice-overs effect is that it emphasises Pilkington's ignorance. For example, the straightforwardness for when he says "it’s weird how he’s got it sat there as if it is meant to tempt you in" displays how he is rejective the main purpose of traveling: trying new things. This rejective mood is further reinforced when he says "there's no way I'm eating this".

1. Outline two ways in which Pilkington makes the scorpion eating scene humorous through his spoken language in the scene. Give an example of each. [4 marks]

Pilkington mocks the woman eating the scorpion which some might find humorous. When he says "look at that one there, that one looks nice", it is obvious that he is using sarcasm to ridicule her eating decisions. Also, when he talks about the spider in the bath "Oh good, I'll leave the croissant for tomorrow, I'll eat that now" he uses basic language to mock the woman and make it seem like this is an ordinary thing for this woman to do.

15 minutes