I've lost my conversational mojo - can I relearn the art of small talk?

I denne study guide finder du hjælp til at analysere artiklen “I’ve lost my conversational mojo – can I relearn the art of small talk” af Rhik Samadder. Teksten har været brugt til den skriftlige eksamen i Engelsk A på STX den 25. maj 2022. Udover hjælp til analysen finder du også et summary samt hjælp til at diskutere artiklen.

Hvis du har brug for hjælp med Assignment 1-3 fra skriftlig eksamen på STX A den 25. maj 2022, kan du læse vores vejledning her.

Rhik Samadder (f. 1980) er bl.a. skuespiller og skribent for The Guardian. I 2019 udgav han sine erindringer, I Never Said I Loved You, der fokuserer på mentalt helbred og blev en bestseller. Artiklen “I’ve lost my conversational mojo – can I relearn the art of small talk?” optrådte i The Guardian i april 2021. Den kredser om de konsekvenser, som de lange coronanedlukninger har haft for menneskers evne til at indgå i sociale interaktioner.

Her kan du læse et uddrag siden om rhetorical devices vores study guide.

The article includes a couple of metaphors which help create vivid images, making the article more engaging.

At the end of the article, Samadder mentions that “I dip a toe back into small talk” (l. 116). If you only dip a toe into the water, it is because you are afraid of it. This metaphor suggests Samadder’s cautious attitude towards trying small talk again, almost as if he fears what will happen to him.

Another metaphor refers to “the banter bus” (l. 3) which Samadder says might be stopping near him again now. This metaphor suggests that Samadder believes he is on the way to relearning how to engage in playful small talk with other people. The metaphor also contains an alliteration on “b” which adds musicality to the sentence and engages the reader.