An Extract from ‘Wave’ - A Memoir of Life after the

Tsunami
Note on the Author

Sonali Deraniyagala is a Sri Lankan. She was born in 1964 and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
She is a memoirist as well as an economist. She studied Economics at Cambridge University and
has a doctorate from the university of Oxford. She is on the faculty of the Department at the
school of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and is a research scholar at
Columbia University New York. She lives in both New York and London.
In 1988, she married Stephen Lissenburg who was a British economist. They had two sons;
Nikhil Lissenburgh [ Malli], Vikram Lissenburg [ Vik]. They lived in their family home in
London. They came to Sri Lanka for their vacation in December 2004. After coming to Sri
Lanka, Sonali’s family and her parents went to visit the Yala ntional park on the south eastern
coast of Sri Lanka. They had stayed there in a hotel close to the beach for four days. Sonali’s
friend Orlantha with her father Anton and mother Beulah were also staying in the same hotel
with them.

On the morning of 26 December 2004, she lost her two sons, her husband and her parents in the
Indian Ocean tsunami. The tsunami carried her two miles inland and she was able to survive by
clinging a to tree branch. In her memoir, ‘Wave’, she mentions “ There was a branch hanging
over the water. I was floating towards it, on my back. I have to clutch the branch, I told myself,
somehow I must. I know I’d go racing under it, so I had to lift up my arms in time to have any
chance of catching it. The water thrashed my face, but I tried to keep my eyes fixed on that
branch. Then I was under it, and I reached out, but the branch was nearly behind me. I knew my
arms back a little and grabbed, holding on”
 Yala National Park sandy beach

Yala Safari Resort after the tsunami

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004

The earthquake and tsunami in the Indian ocean occurred at 07:58:53 WIB on 26 December
2004. With epicenter off the coast of Sumatra Indonesia. The shock had a moment magnitude
of 9. 1- 9.3. The undersea mega thrust earthquake was caused when the Indian plate was sub
ducted by the Burma plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of
most land masses bordering the Indian ocean killing 230,00 in 14 countries and inundating
coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in
recorded history. Indonesia was the biggest victim. Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were the
other most affected countries.
One of the single largest losses of life was in the town of Paraliya, Sri Lanka, where The Queen
of The Sea train was thrown off the tracks, killing an estimated 2000 people. ‘The Queen of The
Sea’ was a popular eight- carriage tourist train, running from the capital, Colombo, to Galle
along the Sri Lankan coast. It travelled slowly along the coast at Paraliya at 9.30 a.m. It was
200 metres from the ocean when the first wave of the tsunami hit the shoreline.

About 1000 more dead were counted in Mullaitive and Vadamaradchi East. In Trincomalee in
the northeast , where the tsunami reached more than 2 km [ 1.25m.] in inland, 800 were reported
dead. About 69 dead were counted at Batticaloa in the east. The naval base at Trincomalee was
reported to be submerged. The agricultural sector was affected seriously. Even the paddy fields
were destroyed in the northern, eastern, southern and western coastal belts. Rubbish was also
deposited on paddy lands. A large number of agricultural vehicles and equipment were destroyed
and canals and drains were blocked.
Apart from houses, many hotels as well as shops were reported to have been damaged. Hotels
along with the south coast were full of both foreign tourists and Sri Lankans use of the long
Christmas weekend.

Malli and Vik

Steve with Malli and Vik

Full Text of the Extract from ‘ Wave’

It was then she saw the wave. “Oh my God, the sea’s coming in.” That’s what she said. I looked
behind me. It didn’t seem that remarkable. Or alarming. It was only the white curl of a big wave.

But you couldn’t usually see breaking waves from our room. You hardly noticed the ocean at all.
It was just a glint of blue above that wide spread of sand that sloped sharply down to the water.
Now the froth of a wave had scaled up this slope and was nearing the tall conifers that were
half way between our room and the water’s edge, incongruous those trees in this landscape of
brittle thorny scrub. This was peculiar. I called out to Steve in the bathroom. “Come out, Steve, I
want to show you something odd.” I didn’t want him to miss this. I wanted him to come out
quick before all this foam dissolved. “In a minute,” Steve muttered, with no intention of rushing
out.
Then there was more white froth. And more. Vik was sitting by the black door reading the first
page of The Hobbit. I told him to shut that door. It was a glass door with four panels, and he
closed each one, then came across the room and stood by me. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t
ask me what was going on.

The foam turned into waves. Waves leaping over the ridge where the beach ended. This was not
normal. The sea never came this far in. Waves not receding or dissolving. Closer now. Brown
and gray. Brown or gray. Waves rushing fast the conifers and coming closer to our room. All
these waves now, charging, churning. Suddenly furious. Suddenly menacing. “ Steve, you’ve
got to come out. Now.” Steve ran out of the bathroom, trying his sarong. He looked outside. We
didn’t speak.

I grabbed Vik and Malli, and we all ran out the front door. I was ahead of Steve. I held the boys
each by hand, “ Give me one of them. Give me one of them,” Steve shouted, reaching out. But I
didn’t. That would have slowed us down. We had no time. We had to be fast. I knew that. But I
didn’t know where I was fleeing from.

I didn’t stop for my parents. I didn’t stop to knock on the door of my parents’ room, which was
next to ours, on the right as we ran out. I didn’t shout to warn them. I didn’t bang on their door
and call them out. As I ran past, for a splintered second, I wondered if I should. But I couldn’t
stop. It will stall us. We must keep running. I held the boys tight by their hands. We have to get
out.

We fled towards the driveway at the front of the hotel. The boys ran as fast as I did. They didn’t
stumble or fall. They were barefoot. But they didn’t slow down because stones or thorns were
hurting them. They didn’t say a word. Our feet were loud, though. I could hear them, slamming
the ground.
Ahead of us a jeep was moving, fast. Now it stopped. A safari jeep with open back and sides and
a brown canvas hood. This jeep was waiting for us. We ran up to it. I flung Vikram into the back,
and he landed face down on the green corrugated- metal floor. Steve jumped in and picked him
up. We were all inside now. Steve had Vik on his lap, I sat across from them Mali on mine. A
man was driving the jeep. I didn’t know who he was.

Now I looked around me and nothing was unusual. No frothing waters here, only the hotel. It
was all as it should be. The long rows of rooms with clay-tiled roofs, the terra-cotta floors of the
open corridors, the dusty, orange- brown gravel drive way thick with wild cactus on both sides.
All there. The waves must have receded, I thought.

I hadn’t seen Orlantha run with us, but she must have done. She was in the jeep. Her parents had
rushed out of their rooms as we came out of ours, and now her father, Anton, was with us too.
Orlantha’s mother Beulah, was hoisting herself into the jeep and the driver revved the engine.
The jeep jerked forward and she lost her grip, fell off. The driver didn’t see this. I told him to
stop, I kept yelling to him that she had fallen out. But he kept going. Beulah lay on the drive way
and looked up at us as we pulled away. She half-smiled, in confusion it seemed.

Anton leaned out the back to reach Beulah and drag her up. When he couldn’t, he jumped out.
They were both lying on the gravel now, but I didn’t call out to the driver to wait for them. He
was driving very fast. He’s right, I thought, we have to keep moving. Soon we will be away from
the hotel.

We were leaving my parents behind. I panicked now. If I had screamed at their door as we ran
out, they could have run with us. “ We didn’t get Achchi and seeya,” I yelled to Steve. This made
Vikram cry. Steve held on to him, clasping him to his chest. “ Aachchi and Seeya will be okay,
they will come later, they will come,” Steve said. Vik stopped crying and snuggled into Steve.

I was thankful for Steve’s words, I was reassured. Steve is right. There are no waves now. Ma
and Da, they will walk out of their room. We will get out of here first, and they’ll join us. I had
an image of my father walking out of the hotel, there were puddles everywhere, he had his
trousers rolled up. I’ll ring Ma on her mobile as soon as I get to a phone, I thought.

We were nearing the end of the hotel driveway. We were about to turn left onto the dirt track that
runs by the lagoon. Steve stared at the road ahead of us. He kept banging his heel on the floor of
the jeep. Hurry up, get a move on.

The jeep was in water then. Suddenly, all this water inside the jeep. Water sloshing over our
knees. Where did this water come from? I didn’t see those waves get to us. This water must have
burst out from beneath the ground. What is happening? The jeep moved forward slowly. I could
hear the engine straining, snarling. We can drive through this water, I thought.

We were tilting from side. The water rising now, filling the jeep. It came up to our chests. Steve
and I lifted the boys as high as we could. Steve held Vik, I had Malli. Their faces above the
water, the top their heads pressing against the Jeep’s canvas hood, our hands tight under their
armpits. The jeep rocked. It was floating, the wheel no longer gripping the ground. We kept
steadying ourselves on the seats. No one spoke. No one uttered a sound.

Then I saw Steve’s face. I’d never seen him like that before. A sudden look of terror, eyes wide
open, mouth agape. He saw something behind me that I couldn’t see. I didn’t have time to turn
around and look.

Because it turned over. The jeep turned over. On my side.

Pain. That was all I could feel. Where am I? Something was crushing my chest. I am trapped
under the jeep, I thought, I am being flattened by it. I tried to push it away, I wanted to wriggle
out. But it was too heavy, whatever was on me, the pain unrelenting in my chest.

I wasn’t stuck under anything. I was moving, I could tell now. My body was curled up, I was
spinning fast.
Am I underwater? It didn’t feel like water, but it has to be, I thought. I was being dragged along,
and my body was whipping backwards and forwards. I couldn’t stop myself. When at times my
eyes opened, I couldn’t see water. Smoky and gray.

An Extract from ‘Wave’ - Analysis

 First scene of tsunami

It was then she saw the wave. “Oh my God, the sea’s coming in.” That’s what she said. I looked
behind me. It didn’t seem that remarkable. Or alarming. It was only the white curl of a big wave.

But you couldn’t usually see breaking waves from our room. You hardly noticed the ocean at all.
It was just a glint of blue above that wide spread of sand that sloped sharply down to the water.
Now the froth of a wave had scaled up this slope and was nearing the tall conifers that were
half way between our room and the water’s edge, incongruous those trees in this landscape of
brittle thorny scrub. This was peculiar. I called out to Steve in the bathroom. “Come out, Steve, I
want to show you something odd.” I didn’t want him to miss this. I wanted him to come out
quick before all this foam dissolved. “In a minute,” Steve muttered, with no intention of rushing
out.
Then there was more white froth. And more. Vik was sitting by the black door reading the first
page of The Hobbit. I told him to shut that door. It was a glass door with four panels, and he
closed each one, then came across the room and stood by me. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t
ask me what was going on.

The foam turned into waves. Waves leaping over the ridge where the beach ended. This was not
normal. The sea never came this far in. Waves not receding or dissolving. Closer now. Brown
and gray. Brown or gray. Waves rushing fast the conifers and coming closer to our room. All
these waves now, charging, churning. Suddenly furious. Suddenly menacing. “ Steve, you’ve
got to come out. Now.” Steve ran out of the bathroom, trying his sarong. He looked outside. We
didn’t speak.

Meanings of Words

 wave – ripple of water

 remarkable - extraordinary

 alarming – causing fear

 giant - huge

 sloped – slanting down

 sharply – strongly

 froth - overflowing mass of small bubbles.

 scaled – climbed / ascended

 conifers Conifers are usually evergreen, often have needle-shaped or scale-like leaves,.

 incongruous – strange / absurd ‘ odd

 brittle – stiff / fragile / frail

  peculiar – strange / unusual

 foam – froth / white bubbles in water

 dissolved - melted

 muttered - mumbled / murmured

 intention - purpose

 rushing out – coming out quickly

 panels – panes . pieces

 ridge - edge / rim

 receding - moving back /withdrawing . fading /

 charging - move forward quickly and violently

 churning - move or cause to move about vigorously

 furious - full of anger or energy or violence

 menacing – threatening / frightening / alarming

Text – based Questions

1. Who is ‘she’ mentioned in the first line?

2. What did she say to the writer?

3.How did the writer react the scene at the beginning?

4.How did the sea usually appear when seeing from the hotel room on other days?

5. What was the peculiarity of the sea noticed by the writer at that moment?

6.Who was Steve?

7. Where was Steve at that moment?

8. Why did the writer call out Steve?

9.How did Steve react the writer’s calling at the beginning?

10. Who was Vik and what was he doing?

11.What did the writer ask Vik to do?

12.List out all the unusual changes of the sea and its waves noticed by the writer?

Analysis

According to the memoir, it is obvious that Sonali and her family members were holidaying in
Yala, a national park on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. They were staying in a beach-side
hotel on the morning of 26th December. 2004. The morning would have been bright and pleasant
as usual. Even the hotel atmosphere would have been quiet and relaxing with its occupants’
readiness to welcome the new day and go on with the scheduled plan of their visit.
Sonali and her family members were ready to leave the place. Her husband Steve was in the
bathroom. Her sons Vik and Malli were on the back veranda, buzzing around their Christmas
presents. Her friend Orlantha was also staying in the same hotel. She was with her parents who
were on holiday from the States. Orlantha and Sonali were having a chat in the doorway of the
hotel room. She also watched the antics of Vik and Malli and told the author that she would
love to start a family soon.

At this moment, Orlantha witnessed the first sign of tsunami and alerted the author. “ Oh
my god, the sea’s coming in.” Sonali looked behind and she did not feel something
alarming because it was only the white curl of a big wave. It is obvious that the author or any
other person would not have thought that it was a sign of a deadly tsunami. But within a few
minutes, she witnessed the dramatic and drastic development of the peculiarity of the sea
waves. Although the ocean was hardly noticed with breaking waves from their rooms, at that
moment, the ocean looked a little closer to the hotel than usual and white foamy waves climbed
all the way up to the stretch of the sand. Then the waves reached near the tall conifers grown
near their room. Sonali felt it something strange so that she called her husband, Steve to come
out of the bathroom not to miss that peculiar scene .As he could not imagine its peculiarity
being in the bathroom , he did not want to rush out. Meanwhile, the eight years old son, Vikram
could be seen sitting by the back door reading the first page of ‘The Hobbit’ which is a
children’s fantasy novel written by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien. Reading the book in the
morning implies Vik’s enthusiasm and love for reading stories. When Sonali asked him to
close the door, he closed all the panels obediently and quietly. Being a small boy, he did not feel
that something peculiar was going on outside.

However, within a matter of minutes, Sonali understood the danger because of the advancing
waves rushing past the conifers and coming closer to the room. The colour of the waves changed
to brown and grey and they looked furious and menacing by charging and churning. Her
intuition guided her to take a quick action to face that unidentified natural disaster. So she
called her husband to come out of the bathroom immediately to face the danger. He ran out of
the bathroom trying his sarong and looked outside. He also understood the imminent danger
and silently responded the situation.

Steve with Malli and Vik

 Escape from the danger of Tsunami

I grabbed Vik and Malli, and we all ran out the front door. I was ahead of Steve. I held the boys
each by hand, “ Give me one of them. Give me one of them,” Steve shouted, reaching out. But I
didn’t. That would have slowed us down. We had no time. We had to be fast. I knew that. But I
didn’t know where I was fleeing from.

I didn’t stop for my parents. I didn’t stop to knock on the door of my parents’ room, which was
next to ours, on the right as we ran out. I didn’t shout to warn them. I didn’t bang on their door
and call them out. As I ran past, for a splintered second, I wondered if I should. But I couldn’t
stop. It will stall us. We must keep running. I held the boys tight by their hands. We have to get
out.

We fled towards the driveway at the front of the hotel. The boys ran as fast as I did. They didn’t
stumble or fall. They were barefoot. But they didn’t slow down because stones or thorns were
hurting them. They didn’t say a word. Our feet were loud, though. I could hear them, slamming
the ground.

Ahead of us a jeep was moving, fast. Now it stopped. A safari jeep with open back and sides and
a brown canvas hood. This jeep was waiting for us. We ran up to it. I flung Vikram into the back,
and he landed face down on the green corrugated- metal floor. Steve jumped in and picked him
up. We were all inside now. Steve had Vik on his lap, I sat across from them Mali on mine. A
man was driving the jeep. I didn’t know who he was.

Now I looked around me and nothing was unusual. No frothing waters here, only the hotel. It
was all as it should be. The long rows of rooms with clay-tiled roofs, the terra-cotta floors of the
open corridors, the dusty, orange- brown gravel drive way thick with wild cactus on both sides.
All there. The waves must have receded, I thought.

I hadn’t seen Orlantha run with us, but she must have done. She was in the jeep. Her parents had
rushed out of their rooms as we came out of ours, and now her father, Anton, was with us too.
Orlantha’s mother Beulah, was hoisting herself into the jeep and the driver revved the engine.
The jeep jerked forward and she lost her grip, fell off. The driver didn’t see this. I told him to
stop, I kept yelling to him that she had fallen out. But he kept going. Beulah lay on the drive way
and looked up at us as we pulled away. She half-smiled, in confusion it seemed.

Anton leaned out the back to reach Beulah and drag her up. When he couldn’t, he jumped out.
They were both lying on the gravel now, but I didn’t call out to the driver to wait for them. He
was driving very fast. He’s right, I thought, we have to keep moving. Soon we will be away from
the hotel.

Meanings of Words
 grabbed – seized / grasped / took hold of

 fleeing – escaping / running away /

 warn – notify / inform a possible danger

 bang- knock / thud

 splintered – split / fall apart

 stall - stand

 stumble – lose balance and fall

 barefoot – wearing nothing on feet

 slamming - move against a hard surface with force and usually a loud noise

 safari - An expedition to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat

 flung – threw

 corrugated - shaped into a series of parallel ridges.

  terra –cotta - a type of fired clay

 cactus - Cactus is a type of plant that can store large amounts of water and survive in

extremely hot and dry habitats

 hoisting – raising / holding up

 revved – increased the engine speed

 jerked – moved suddenly / made a short sudden movement

 grip – grasp tightly

 driveway a short private road that leads from a public road to a house

 confusion – uncertainty / puzzlement

 drag - pull

 gravel - small stones and pebbles, or a mixture of these with sand.

Text – based Questions

1.How did the writer and Steve react to the unusual development of the sea waves?

2.Why didn’t the writer give one of the children to her husband?

3. Where were her parents at that moment?

4.Why didn’t she wait for her parents?

5.Where did they flee with the children?

6.What does the writer reminisce about her parents when running towards the driveway?

7.What was the vehicle waiting for them?

8. How did they get into the jeep?

9. Who else were in the jeep with them?

10.Why couldn’t Orlantha’s mother get into the jeep?

11 What did Orlantha’s father, Anton do at that moment?

12. Was he able to help her?

13, What happened to Orlantha’s father and mother?

14, Why didn’t the writer r call out to the driver to wait for them at that moment?

15. Would you justify the behavior of the jeep driver at that moment?

Analysis
Both Sonali and Steve realized that they had no any other alternative except getting out of the
hotel as quickly as possible. So they ran out of the front door without knowing any direction or
destination. Sonali ran ahead of Steve grabbing the two children Vik and Malli. At that
critical moment, Sonali had to perform several roles such as a mother, a wife, a daughter and a
friend. But it was impossible and impractical for her to perform all these roles at once when
facing such a sudden unexpected and unidentified disaster. Then she let her instinct and sub-
consciousness to guide her. Accordingly, it is natural that for any mother her kids are the most
loving and precious. Proving this universal truth ,she vividly displayed the role of a beloved
mother by running out holding the boys each by hand. Although her husband Steve shouted her
to give one of them, she kept on running without losing even a split of a second.

Although she performed her role as a mother and a wife, she recollected another role that she
was unable to perform. That was her role as a daughter. Her parents stayed in the adjoining
room of the hotel. If she called them, definitely it would take time to convince them the
oncoming danger. It was a moment of urgency and emergency to take the decision whether to
protect the lives of the children or parents. She also had to act either with her sense or
sensibility for this purpose
On the other hand, while running with the children for protection , she had to forget any
inconvenience caused by the physical environment with stones and thorns. It is quite
noteworthy how the two boys fled with the parents bearing up all the difficulties without
stumbling and mumbling to avoid the risk of the tidal waves.

Fortunately, a safari jeep was waiting for them to get into it. They really did not have time to get
into it leisurely. Sonali thereby, flung Vikram into the back of the vehicle and he landed face
down on the hard green corrugated – metal floor. So Steve jumped in and picked him up. It
would have been the first time that the their children had such bitter experience both
physically and mentally. However they derived a momentary happiness for being together inside
the jeep with the hope of going interior of the country so as to escape from the deadly risk.
After getting into the jeep, she looked around and noticed that everything was normal and
peaceful including the rooms of the hotel and its surrounding.

During this relaxed mood of Sonali, she witnessed the presence of her friend Orlantha in the
jeep. Her father Anton and mother Beulah had been able to come out of the rooms. But Beulah
found it difficult to get into the jeep. When the driver revved the engine, the jeep jerked
forward and Beulah lost the grip and fell off. Sonali yelled the driver to stop the vehicle. But
he was in a hurry to drive the vehicle to a place which was out of reach of the tidal waves. At
that moment, the driver’s selflessness and humanity should be admired because he waited at
least for some people to take in without going alone.

Meanwhile, Anton, the husband of Beulah made an attempt to reach his wife and drag her up.
But he failed in his endeavour. He also displayed his humanity, love and affection for his wife
by jumping out of the vehicle without making her alone. It was a very pathetic scene because
both of them were lying on the gravel to face the fate together.
 A safari jeep

 The writer’s concern for parents

We were leaving my parents behind. I panicked now. If I had screamed at their door as we ran
out, they could have run with us. “ We didn’t get Achchi and seeya,” I yelled to Steve. This made
Vikram cry. Steve held on to him, clasping him to his chest. “ Aachchi and Seeya will be okay,
they will come later, they will come,” Steve said. Vik stopped crying and snuggled into Steve.

I was thankful for Steve’s words, I was reassured. Steve is right. There are no waves now. Ma
and Da, they will walk out of their room. We will get out of here first, and they’ll join us. I had
an image of my father walking out of the hotel, there were puddles everywhere, he had his
trousers rolled up. I’ll ring Ma on her mobile as soon as I get to a phone, I thought.

We were nearing the end of the hotel driveway. We were about to turn left onto the dirt track that
runs by the lagoon. Steve stared at the road ahead of us. He kept banging his heel on the floor of
the jeep. Hurry up, get a move on.
 Malli and Vik

Meanings of Words

 panicked - a sudden overwhelming fear,

 screamed – made a loud high – pitched sound

 clasping – grasping tightly with hand

 snuggled - To drew close or hold closely, as for comfort or in affection.

 reassured - made (someone) feel less afraid, upset, or doubtful

 puddles – small pools of water

 lagoon- A shallow body of salt water close to the sea but separated from it by a narrow
strip of land

 banging – striking or beating violently or noisly

Text – based Questions

1.Why do you think that the writer remembered her parents at this moment?

2..What made Vikram cry?

3.How did Vik and Malli address their grandparents?

4.How did Steve calm down Vikram when he was crying?

5.How did the writer make up her mind about the concern for her parents?

6.What did the writer visualize?

7.How did the writer intend to communicate with her parents?

8.Where was the vehicle going on at this moment? How was the condition of the track?
8.Why did Steve shout the driver?

Analysis

At this moment, Sonali became somewhat relaxed and remembered her parents. She felt guilty-
conscious of leaving her parents in the hotel. She was panic- stricken and worried as she did not
take them out of their room to run with them. It is quite obvious that they would have become
victims of the high tides that invaded the hotel. But Sonali would not have thought of their fatal
fate. Vikram heard what his mother told about the grandparents and started crying loudly. The
two children would have called the grandparents ‘ Achchi’ and ‘ Seeya’ according to the Sri
Lankan way of addressing the grandparents. However, it is clear that Vikram had a deep love and
affection towards his grandparents. It is natural that grand children are very much closer to
grandparents and they love them very much. . Steve had to comfort the child making him
hopeful about the grandparents’ presence to be with them later. Steve’s words not only gave an
assurance to the child about the grandparents but also Sonali was reassured by making her
optimistic about the parents’ living without any danger. That is mainly because there were no
waves to b seen at that moment. Sonali imagined how her father was walking out of the hotel
rolling the trousers up due to the puddles everywhere. She also thought of talking to her
mother’s mobile phone as soon as she reached a safer place where she can find facilities for
communication.

The jeep passed the hotel drive way and Steve looked at the road ahead of them. Steve was so
impatient that he shouted the driver to hurry up by banging his heel on the floor of the jeep.

 The jeep was in water

The jeep was in water then. Suddenly, all this water inside the jeep. Water sloshing over our
knees. Where did this water come from? I didn’t see those waves get to us. This water must have
burst out from beneath the ground. What is happening? The jeep moved forward slowly. I could
hear the engine straining, snarling. We can drive through this water, I thought.

We were tilting from side. The water rising now, filling the jeep. It came up to our chests. Steve
and I lifted the boys as high as we could. Steve held Vik, I had Malli. Their faces above the
water, the top their heads pressing against the Jeep’s canvas hood, our hands tight under their
armpits. The jeep rocked. It was floating, the wheel no longer gripping the ground. We kept
steadying ourselves on the seats. No one spoke. No one uttered a sound.

Then I saw Steve’s face. I’d never seen him like that before. A sudden look of terror, eyes wide
open, mouth agape. He saw something behind me that I couldn’t see. I didn’t have time to turn
around and look.

Because it turned over. The jeep turned over. On my side.

Meanings of Words

 sloshing – moving water irregularly with a splashing sound

 burst out - gushed out

  straining – making a strong effort

 snarling - making a deep, rough sound

 floating - moving gently on the surface of water

 gripping – grasping

 steadying- staying firmly in a position or a place

 tilting- to cause to slope

 agape – wide open / amazed / astonished

Text – based Questions

1.What happened to the jeep?

2. According to the writer, where did the water come from?

3..How did the writer and her husband try to save Vik and Malli from water?

4..What would be the reason for Steve’s sudden look of terror.?

5.. Why couldn’t the writer see it?

Analysis
The jeep was about to reach the end of the hotel drive way and turn to left where there was a
dirt track that runs close to the lagoon. Steve looked at the road ahead of them. He was so
impatient that he shouted the driver to hurry up by banging his heel on the floor of the jeep.
Perhaps he would have seen the area inundated with tidal waves.

They had been in an illusion of mental relief only for a short time without the risk of floods and
tidal waves. Water rushed inside the jeep so soon that it submerged over their knees. Sonali
could not guess where this water came from. She did not see the waves that approached
towards them creating floods. So she thought that water would have burst out from underground.
She also found it difficult to realize what was happening at that moment. The jeep started
drifting on water and the engine gave a straining and snarling sound. They lost the balance and
felt that they were tilting from side . The water level gradually increased and came up to their
chests.
Therefore, it is quite apparent that Sonali was in an illusion. She could be in a relaxed mood only
for a short time. During the short time relaxed mood, she reminisced her parents. But it is ironic
that again she had to think of the children and her husband. Sonali and her husband , Steve
lifted the two sons as high as they could to avoid their faces sink in water. But it was not an easy
task due to the increase of the flood of water and rocking of the jeep. They had to spend the most
fatal and crucial minutes at that time. We can visualize the pathetic scene how both Sonali and
her husband keep holding their children up inside the floating jeep in silence except the sound
of water and the waves. In other words, they did not have any oral communication but only the
facial expressions. However, the submerged water could not suppress their maternal and
paternal love towards the children. Their struggle was to save the children at the expense of their
lives.

Did they have any idea that it was Tsunami? Most Probably, they would not have thought so, as
they had not faced and experienced such a natural disaster so for in their lives. If they really had
had any previous experience, they would not have let the jeep run on the flat land though being
somewhat away from the beach. They would have tried their best to find out a higher elevation.
We came to know that some people who were on high places could survive during tsunami
hours as the tidal waves could not approach them.

However, while they were struggling between life and death in a flood of water, Sonali could see
a peculiar expression on Steve’s face. She could read it as a look of terror with wide open eyes
and mouth. That was due to looking at something behind the writer that she could not see. No
doubt, it was a deadly tidal wave. Sonali did not have time to turn around and look at it because
the jeep turned over on her side.
  Sonali’s lonely struggle with Tsunami tidal waves

Pain. That was all I could feel. Where am I? Something was crushing my chest. I am trapped
under the jeep, I thought, I am being flattened by it. I tried to push it away, I wanted to wriggle
out. But it was too heavy, whatever was on me, the pain unrelenting in my chest.

I wasn’t stuck under anything. I was moving, I could tell now. My body was curled up, I was
spinning fast.

Am I underwater? It didn’t feel like water, but it has to be, I thought. I was being dragged along,
and my body was whipping backwards and forwards. I couldn’t stop myself. When at times my
eyes opened, I couldn’t see water. Smoky and gray.

Meanings of Words

 .crushing - compressing forcefully

 .trapped – caught / shut in

 . flattened – to knock down / trodden

 .wriggle – move about / twist and turn with quick writhing movements.

 unrelenting – endless / ceaseless

 struck - unable to move from a particular position or place

 spinning – rotating / circling

 whipping – beating / lashing

Text – based Questions

1.What would have happened to Steve and the two sons, Vik and Malli?

2.What made the writer feel physically painful at that moment because of the jeep?

3.Was the writer really conscious enough to understand what was happening? How would you
say so?

4.What did the writer physically feel and experience at that moment?

Analysis

In the end of the extract, the writer, Sonali does not mention about her sons and the husband. It
is quite clear that they were no more with her. They would have been taken away by the tidal
waves. Sonali could not see how they advanced towards them. Then she was trapped under the
jeep and flattened by it. That would have been a barrier for the tidal waves to drag the her as
others very easily. Perhaps, one could interpret it as her fate to survive. Nevertheless, nature did
not allow her to survive with physical and mental relief. She had to struggle alone for her
survival in the flood of water caused by the tidal waves.

Beyond the extract taken from “ Wave”

Sonali could make out only a smoky and gray coloured image when she was whipped and
pulled forward and backward by the flood of water losing her control. She felt it was like a
dream. When she went whirling in the water, she felt disappointed that her life had to end. She
witnessed a boy floating towards her. She thought that boy was Malli. She tried to reach him. But
water slammed into her face and pushed her back. However, she had a close look at him. He was
not Malli.
 A boy floating on water

She also saw a man in a black T-shirt on water facing downwards. Though she thought it was
Steve, she suppressed her thought being reluctant to think he was dead.

A man floating on water

Fortunately, there was a branch of a tree hanging over the flood of water. She somehow clutched
the branch in spite of thrashing water on her face. She realized that she was in an immense bog
land. There were pools of still water around her, but no waves. She felt that she was in an
unknown land away from the hotel , the beach and the lagoon. She was conscious enough to
trace what happened. She thought what happened to the two sons , her husband and parents,
whether they could be dead. Although she thought that they would have been dead , that
thought was unbearable for her. She could not think of life without her dearest ones: the two
sons, her husband and parents. She was all alone in a deserted place by panting, choking,
spitting and coughing up blood. She felt her body was heavy and her trousers were weighing her
down. So she thought of removing them off.

At that moment, she heard the voices of a group of men searching for the victims of tsunami. She
kept silent without responding to them. But they spotted her and came forward to rescue her
showing their humanity. First she was taken to the ticket office at the entrance to the national
park by a van. Later she was taken to the hospital in a jeep. When they got to the hospital, Anton,
Orlantha’s father came rushing out and peered into the jeep. It is ironic that he was waiting for
her daughter, Orlantha and he thought that it was the same jeep they had driven off in , leaving
him and his wife on the gravel ground. He also asked Sonali about Steve and the boys. Anton’s
question about the husband and the sons made her hopeless because she hoped that they would
be at the hospital.

Fate of Anton , Beulah and Orlantha

Anton Ambrose who was a Sri Lankan Tamil moved to California in the 1970s and became a
very successful obstetrician and gynecologist. Dr. Ambrose graduated from the Medical Faculty
University of Sri Lanka. He traveled to the U.S. to complete his internship at St. Luke’s Hospital
in Fargo, ND. Dr. Ambrose went on to attain his medical degree in OB/GYN at Charity Hospital
New Orleans/LSU where he completed his residency.

After graduating from LSU, Dr. Ambrose came to California and opened his private practice in
Northridge where he has maintained a practice for over 35 years. Dr. Ambrose is pleased to be
on Kids & Teens’ pediatric team to provide gynecological services to younger generations.
 Anton Ambrose

Like many Sri Lankans who live abroad, Dr. Anton Ambrose and 65 year old his wife Beulah
Ambrose of Los Angeles came to Sri Lanka during the holiday season for rest and relaxation.
They were visiting their daughter Orlantha, who had taken a two-year leave from her job in Los
Angeles to teach music to underprivileged kids in her father's hometown.

Orlantha Ambrose—a 33-year-old teacher whose nonprofit organization Strings by the Sea
(SBS) provided music education for underprivileged kids. She was called “O” by friends.
Orlantha Ambrose grew up in southern California with her brother Cezhan, as the oldest
daughter of Anton and Beulah Ambrose. She began studying violin at age 3 and had represented
the United States at the Suzuki International Music Festival by age 7. As an adult, she continued
to win competitions as a music teacher and belonged to various community orchestras.

Beulah and Orlantha Ambrose were killed when tsunami rushed through the coastal area of Yala
National Park. They were staying in the same hotel with Sonali and her family members on that
ill- fate day. Dr. Anton Ambrose was fortunate to survive. He said "In five minutes, I lost
everything."
 Orlantha

Obituary Notice of Beulah and Orlantha

The obituary of Beulah and Orlantha appeared in Daily News on Thursday, 30 December 2004
as follows :

AMBROSE - BEULAH and ORLANTHA Died under tragic circumstances. Beloved wife and
daughter of Dr Anton, mother and sister of Cezhan, daughter and granddaughter of the late Mr
and Mrs Solomon of Kurunegala, daughter-in-law and granddaughter of the late David and Mrs
Winifred Ambrose of Kotahena. Remains lie at A.F. Raymond Funeral Parlour from 1 p.m.
Wednesday 29th December 2004. Service at St Joseph's College Chapel, Darley Road, Colombo
10 at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday 30th December, 2004, after which cortege leaves for burial at
Family Burial Ground, General Cemetery, Kurunegala (Catholic Section). 4410, Rochelle Place,
Encino, Los Angeles, California, C.A. 91316, USA. (USA and UK papers, please copy)

Themes - Wave

Unexpected natural disasters and their impact

Natural disasters happen all over the world, and they can be utterly devastating for people’s lives
and the environments in which they live. As natural disasters are caused by nature , there is
nothing that we can do to prevent them happening. There are many different natural causes that
lead to natural disasters. Floods, landslides, earthquakes, Tsunamis , hurricanes, Tornadoes ,
volcanic eruptions and wildfire are some of the natural disasters.

They bring disastrous consequences because they are unexpected and unpredictable. Perhaps,
we may be able to minimize the gravity of the disaster . But it is impossible to prevent from the
natural disasters completely. Tsunami is one of such horrible natural disasters .The movements
of the plates in the earth’s crust cause tsunami. These plates do not always move smoothly so
that they can get stuck, causing a build-up of pressure. It is when this pressure is released that an
earthquake occurs. In turn, an earthquake under the water can cause a tsunami, as the quake
causes great waves by pushing large volumes of water to the surface.

Sri Lanka was one of the countries struck by an undersea quake near the Achan Island close to
Indonesia in the Indian ocean on December 26, 2004. Its development as a tsunami brought
deaths to nearly 230,000 people. And also, a half million people were displaced from their
homes.
Soanli Deraniyagala’s memoir ‘ Wave’ is associated with the horrible events of this tsunami of
the fateful December 26th.

Sonali Deraniyagala reminisces in her memoir about the tragedy caused by tsunami to her
family while they were staying in a hotel close to the beach in Yala wild life park. She lost her
two sons, husband, parents and her friend, Orlantha who stayed in the same hotel.

Although Sonali and her husband, Steve tried their best to run away from the tidal waves, they
could not evade from the waves. It clearly proves that though we are scientifically and
technologically advanced in this 21st century, we still face and suffer the consequences of natural
disasters.

Theme of love and sacrifice.

Love and sacrifice is another theme brought out in Sonali Deraniyagala’s book ‘Wave.’ Some
critics have expressed their views on the book highlighting this theme. William Dalrymple states
‘ Most moving book I have read about grief. It is also a very fine book about love.” Cheryl states
in New York Times ‘ And while on ‘Wave’. Love reveals itself by the bleak intensity of the pain
of, absolute, irreplaceable loss. It is in the end a love story and a book the importance of love.”

When this theme is analyzed deeply, mother’s love or maternal love is vividly expressed in
Sonali’s memoir ‘Wave’

“Mother’ is a word that holds great meaning to most people. Mother is a figure that plays an
important role in people’s life. Nothing can come close to the love that a mother feels for her
children. Most women are inherently excellent mothers. Mothers make sure that their children
are safe and happy throughout their childhood. It is hard to describe the feeling that a mother has
towards her children. .

There is a famous saying "God could not be everywhere and so he invented mothers". These
words are a great inspiration to all the mothers throughout the world.. There is another saying
that the world depends on mother’s breast milk and the sun’s rays.

Mothers give a lot of support to their children, whether it involves a very visible support or a
simple background encouragement. Not only do mothers support their children, but they also
often hold the whole family structure together. We get a lot of news showing that mothers are
willing to sacrifice their life for their own children. For example, during the earthquake in China
2008, a mother was found half buried with a baby sleeping soundly in her arms. The baby
survived but his mother when trying to protect him. Even in ‘Wave’, the author’s innate instinct
seems to be that of a mother to protect her children. So she gives her priority to save the children
when the tidal waves invade the hotel.

“ I grabbed Vik and Malli, and we all ran out of the front door. I was ahead of Steve. I
held the boys each by hand”
Later when the water rises filling the jeep, she tries to lift the boys high with the help of her
husband to prevent them sink at the expense of her life. Even after losing the hold of the two
children and the sight of her husband , she thinks of them by floating and struggling with water.

“ Vik and Malli, I thought again. I can’t let myself die here in whatever this is. My boys”
When a boy is floating towards her, she thinks that he is Malli. Then she calls him with true
maternal love ‘ Come to Mummy” But she understands that h is not Malli. Thus through out
the memoir , the writer finds it difficult to erase the haunting memory of her loving sons as a
beloved mother.

In addition to the mother’s love expressed by the writer, she also genuinely expresses her love
towards her husband. After her children, she gives next priority to the husband. When the tidal
waves become charging and churning, she calls her husband to come out of the bathroom
immediately. “ Steve, you’ve got to come out. Now.” Even after Steve’s disappearance in the
tidal waves, she does not want to think that he is dead. While she is struggling with plummeting
water, she identifies a man in black T-shirt floats facing downwards. She wonders whether it is
Steve when his sarong comes off. Her strong love for her husband is quite clearly expressed
when she says “ No, it can’t be Steve. Don’t let it be him.”

The writer reminisces another occasion that a husband expresses his love for his wife. That is
Orlantha’s father Anton. While Orlantha’s mother , Beulah is hoisting herself into the jeep, the
driver revs the engine and the jeep jerks forward. Then she loses the grip and falls off. Although
Anton leans out the back of the jeep to reach Beulah and drags her up, he fails in his attempt.
Then without being selfish, Anton also jumps out to be with his wife who is lying on the
gravel. It really proves that Anton is really a loving husband with the salient features of true
love like selflessness, commitment, humanity and so on. It is very tragic that he is fortunate
enough to survive . But both his wife and daughter die being victims of the fateful tidal waves.
It is also very pathetic how the writer meets Anton at the hospital searching for his daughter and
wife by peeping into the vehicles that the dead bodies are brought. He finds only his daughter’s
dead body but not his wife’s. “ He found Orlantha , he told me. He found her. She is not
with us anymore, she is gone.”

The writer also loves her parents. But she finds it very difficult to accomplish three roles
simultaneously at such a crucial time while facing an unfamiliar danger. Her guilty
consciousness of leaving the parents in the hotel room reveals her love for the parents.
“ We were leaving my parents behind. I panicked now. If I had screamed at their door as
we ran out, they could have run with us”

It is also natural that grand children love their grandparents very much. That is because they have
more time to spend and show their love towards each other unlike the busy parents. When the
writer reminds yelling Steve “ We didn’t get Aachchi and Seeya” , Vikram cries loudly
because it is unbearable for him to lose their love and affection.

Thus the theme of love and sacrifice is conveyed in the memoir ‘Wave’ and it can be analyzed
by paying attention to the characters and the different situations they encounter.

Nature of humanity

What is really meant by human nature? It is really the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that
are common to most people. In other words, when we say humanity, it includes the qualities like
love, compassion, sharing , caring and so on.

Though humanity is considered sublime, we sometimes find both negative and positive features.
It is true that the writer displays her maternal love to the optimum when the tidal waves invade
the hotel. She takes immediate actions to run away with the two children and the husband who
are the members of her family unit. It could be the innate instinct that guided her at that
moment with a little bit selfishness. In other words, she was compelled to be ego-centric before
the oncoming unknown disaster. She thereby, gives the priority to her family members for
survival when there is no any second to think and plan. It is natural that any mother tries her
best to protect her kids at such a disastrous time. It is a common inherent quality to even
animals . You can witness how a queen cat takes her new born kitten to safer places in case of
any risk for them. The writer’s parents were at the adjoining room when the tsunami waves
approached. But the writer did not inform them the panic caused by the tidal waves. Therefore
one can point it out as selfishness which is considered one of the negative qualities of
humanity. The writer’s guilty- conscience in this regard comes out, while running out of the
hotel. She states
“ I didn’t stop for my parents. I didn’t stop to knock on the door of my parents’ room,
which was next to ours, on the right as we ran out. I didn’t shout to warn them. I didn’t
bang on their door and call them out”

At the same time, she wonders whether she should stop for them.

“ But I couldn’t stop. It will stall us. We must keep running”

Again one can argue that calling to parents is meaningless and it is only wasting time. Perhaps,
it would have taken some time to convince them the imminent danger because the writer also
did not have any idea or experience about it whether it was tsunami. On the other hand , the
parents would not have been able to run with them at high speed. She had only two options. One
was to stay at the hotel and die together. The other was to run with her two sons and the
husband. Perhaps, if she had been alone only with the parents, she would have informed the
parents and run with them. It is therefore, evident that the circumstances compelled her to be
selfish for the life of her two children. In that sense can it be justified?

When the writer saw Orlantha and her parents who had rushed out of their rooms, she would
have felt much more guilty – conscious of their presence without parents.

“ We were leaving my parents behind, I panicked now. If I had screamed at their door as
we ran out, they could have run with us”

However , the writer displayed her selflessness , when Orlantha’s mother Beulah lost her grip
of the vehicle and fell off. She shouted to the driver loudly to stop the jeep to take her. But
when Anton jumped out of the jeep to take back his wife, the writer did not call out to the driver
to wait for them. One reason was that he was driving fast. On the other hand it was not a time to
practice morality. Moreover her running away to save the lives of the two children would have
ended up in a failure if she had become too selfless. At this moment, Anton’s selflessness
should be admired because he jumped out of the vehicle to help his wife. Nevertheless, Orlantha
was selfish because she did not help her mother to get into the jeep. She would have run ahead
of them and got into the jeep. We know that she did not have children to run with her. In that
sense, she would have behaved in a selfish manner being negligent of her parents.
The driver of the safari jeep should be appreciated because he was waiting for others to get in. If
he had been self – centered and insensitive he could have left alone. On the other hand he did
not have any friendship or relationship with others. He had only humanity. Perhaps, he could
have escaped from the second big wave and survived if he had left alone saving time. Some
may criticize him as he did not stop for Beulah and Anton. Again we have to understand that it
was a struggle between life and death. So we cannot expect complete sacrifice and selflessness
from an outsider without and familiarity.“ A man was driving the jeep. I didn’t know who
he was”

Thus true human nature is exposed with its positive and negative qualities through the characters
of the writer, Orlantha, Anton and so on.

Literary Techniques

Title

The title of the book is “ Wave” . The sub title given below the book is “ A MEMOIR OF LIFE
AFTER THE TSUNAMI.” Memoir is a literary genre or a reminiscence, a subclass of

autobiography. A memoir usually reflects the writer's own experiences and memories. So this
memoir was written by Sonali Deraniyagala reminiscing the events of the tsunami tidal waves
occurred on 26th December, 2004. The title ‘Wave’ thereby, implies the tsunami tidal waves. The
writer presents her gruesome and poignant experience in her memoir. It was written some years
after the disaster. But she has been able to trace and refresh all the events , feelings, and
experience recorded in her inward eye from the beginning of the fateful December 26 th.
Memory flashback is used to trace all the past moving events.

Narrative structure
The students who offer ‘ Appreciation of English Literary Texts’ for G.C.E. [O/L] are expected to
study only an extract taken from ‘Wave’. It contains 21 paragraphs. The writer presents
everything recorded in her memory in a more methodical, live and authentic manner.
Accordingly, the plot or the structure of the given extract seems to have the following stages
just like the form of a short story.

 Exposition:

At the beginning the writer reminisces what her friend noticed and how she exclaimed “ Oh my
God, the sea’s coming in” Then we get the author’s reaction to her friend’s observation. We also
get more information about the persons who were with the author , where they were staying at
that moment and what time of the day it was . It was morning .They were staying in a hotel
close to the coast. She was with her husband Steve and the two sons, Vickram and Malli. Her
parents were staying in the adjoining room. The author was having a chat with her friend,
Orlantha. At that moment ,her husband was in the bathroom and her son Vikram was reading the
fantasy novel ‘The Hobbit. We do not get information about the things done by the parents and
the other son Malli. What she witnessed at the beginning was the ‘ white curl of a big wave’. It
did not take much time for her to sense the development of the peculiar waves that invaded the
hotel premises.

 Conflict :

Initial conflict brought out in the memoir is the struggle faced by the writer to save the lives of
her family from the tsunami tidal waves .

 Rising Action

The action changes drastically when the waves become suddenly furious. The author grabs her
sons and runs away with her husband Steve. Then they get into a safari jeep that moves away
from the hotel premises. While the jeep turns to the track on left that runs by the lagoon, Steve
notices a short tidal wave which is less intense. No sooner the road is inundated with water and
the jeep has to move forward slowly. When the water level rises, the jeep fills with water and
floats on the surface of water. Both the writer and her husband face a hard struggle to hold the
two boys up to avoid them drowning.

 Climax

The second long and ferocious tidal wave strikes them and the ferocity of the wave topples the
jeep over. The author struggles to save her life from the waves as well as the flood created by the
waves.

 Falling action

The author opens her eyes in an unknown place smoky and gray.

 Resolution

The author is alone. She is utterly helpless. The natural disaster , tsunami tidal waves brought her
a tragedy losing her all the loving ones; two sons, her husband and parents.

Narrative form
As ‘wave’ is a memoir, first person narrative form is used and it helps the author share her
experience, feelings , emotions and poignant moments with the reader . It also boosts the reader’s
sympathy and empathy.

Language

 The entire memoir is presented in past tense. She thereby, uses the simple past tense, the
past continuous tense and the past perfect tense to make the narration very clear and
convincing.

Examples :

The foamed turned into waves [ The simple past tense]

It was floating [ The past continuous tense]

I hadn’t seen Orlantha run with us [ Past perfect tense]

  Situational and conversational language used in the memoir makes the scenes more
dramatic and live.

Examples

“ Oh my God , the sea’s coming in”

“ Come out Steve ,I want to show you something odd”

“ Steve, You’ve got to come out Now”

 Some of the language expressions used in the memoir also create a sense of poignancy,
immediacy ,urgency and confusion

Examples:

“ All the waves now charging and churning.”

“ But I didn’t know what I was fleeing from”

“ I couldn’t stop my parents

“Hurry up, get a move on”

“ They were both lying on the ground”

“ She half – smiled, in confusion it seemed”

“ They were both lying on the gravel now”

Specially the language expressions used in the following paragraph make the reader
much more emotional. It further blends with the feelings and emotions like guilt,
affection, sorrow, anxiety, empathy etc.

“We were leaving my parents behind. I panicked now. If I had screamed at their door as we ran
out, they could have run with us. “ We didn’t get Achchi and seeya,” I yelled to Steve. This made
Vikram cry. Steve held on to him, clasping him to his chest. “ Aachchi and Seeya will be okay,
they will come later, they will come,” Steve said. Vik stopped crying and snuggled into Steve.”
 The author uses the language to bring out suspense. Specially, the interrogative sentences
create suspense.

Where did this water come from?

What is happening?

Where am I?

Am I under water?

 The following paragraph has a number of repetitions and they really express the author’s
guilty conscience of running away without informing the parents. All the repetitions are
presented in negative form so as to bring out sorrow , grief and confusion as well.

“ I didn’t stop for my parents. I didn’t stop to knock on the door of my parents’ room,
which was next to ours, on the right as we ran out. I didn’t shout to warn them. I didn’t
bang on their door and call them out. As I ran past, for a splintered second, I wondered if I
should. But I couldn’t stop. It will stall us. We must keep running. I held the boys tight by
their hands. We have to get out.”

In addition to this paragraph, there are some other repetitions used for creating a sense of
immediacy, anxiety, horror , emphasis etc.

“ Suddenly furious. Suddenly menacing”

“Give me one of them. Give me one of them”

“ Closer now Brown and gray Brown and gray”

“ We had no time. We had to be fast”

“No one spoke. No one uttered a word”

“ They will come later, they will come”

  The names like Orlantha, Anton, Beulah, Steve give a foreign colour to the memoir. But
the names of the two sons , Vickram and Malli add Si Lankan colour to the Memoir.
Even the children’s addressing to the grandparents as ‘ Aachchi’ and ‘Seeya’ suggest
that they are brought out in a Sri Lankan cultural background despite their living in
England.
 The author uses short sentences as well as incomplete sentences to express the
restlessness, immediacy, horror, panic etc. at that moment.
Examples:
“ This was peculiar”
‘In a minute’ Steve muttered.
‘All there.’
“ He looked outside”
“ But I didn’t”
“ I knew that”
“Closer now”
“ The jeep rocked’
“ The jeep turned over. On my side”
“ I was moving”
“ Smoky and gray”

Imagery
Visual Imagery.

The writer creates a lot of visual imagery from the beginning to the end of the extract. All the
visual images help us get a vivid pictures of the physical background including the hotel
premises, the coast, the drive way , the muddy tracks ,and the lagoon. In addition to the
physical background, we can visualize the development of the tsunami tidal waves , the
responses of the characters with panic, horror,, restlessness, urgency and so on. Moreover , the
author’s running away with husband and children, getting into the jeep, worried boys without
grandparents , Beulah lying on the gravel, increase of flood, the jeep in water, holding the
children up by the writer and her husband, Steve’s face with look of horror by witnessing the
fateful tidal wave, the writer’s struggle in the water for survival and the final scene with smoky
and gray atmosphere can be visualized.

Auditory imagery

 An auditory image comes out when the author and her family members run very
fast towards the drive way’
“ Our feet were loud, though I could hear them, slamming the ground”

 The author’s yelling to the driver to stop the vehicle to take back Beulah when
fallen out is conveyed through an auditor image.

 Crying of Vikram without his grandparents is brought out through another visual
image. “ This made Vikram cry”

 When Steve witnessed a tidal wave when travelling by a lagoon, he asks the driver to
hurry up by banging his heel on the floor of the jeep.
“ He kept banging his heel on the floor of the jeep.”

 When the jeep could not move forward in the flood of water, there was a snarling sound
of engine. “ I could hear its engine straining , snarling”

Tactile imagery
 There are several tactile images in the memoir. At the beginning the author says how she
ran out of the hotel grabbing her two sons.
“ I grabbed the Vik and Malli,……….”
“ I held the boys each by hand”
 When Vikram cries without his grandparents, Steve held on to him, clasping him to his
chest.

 When the water was rising and filing the jeep, Steve and the author lifted the boys with
hands tight under their armpits.

Sound Devices

 Alliteration

It was just a glint of blue above that wide spread of sand that sloped sharply down to the
water.

Brown and gray. Brown and gray.

Splintered second

The jeep jerked forward

gripping the ground

 Consonance

a glint of blue

orange- brown gravel drive way

dirt track

 Assonance

It was floating, the wheels no longer

You hardly noticed the ocean at all

He kept banging his heel on the floor of the jeep.

 Onomatopoeic sounds
All these wave charging and churning

Jerked / clasping / banging / straining and snarling / gripping / crushing / wriggle /