Overview & Setting
This is the author of The Hitch-Hiker.
Who is Roald Dahl?
The driver of the car and central narrator.
Who is the narrator?
The policeman does this with his motorcycle.
What is dismounts and leans it on its prop stand?
The policeman’s questions are described as this.
What are mocking and sarcastic?
His evasive responses suggest this about him.
What is he might be hiding something?
The scene takes place here when the narrator is stopped.
What is the roadside?
The passenger who advises silence.
Who is the hitch-hiker?
The narrator expresses this emotion while waiting.
What is fear/anxiety?
The narrator admits to knowing this but not his actual speed.
What is the speed limit?
When asked who he is, the hitch-hiker uses this tone.
What is soft/appeasing tone?
The narrator was stopped by the policeman for this reason.
What is speeding?
The policeman is described as this type of figure.
What is a large, intimidating figure?
The hitch-hiker advises the narrator to do this during the encounter.
What is keep conversation with the officer limited?
When the officer yells “One hundred and twenty miles per hour!”, it underscores this.
What are his aggression and authority?
The officer treats the hitch-hiker as this in the situation.
What is a witness?
The tone of the scene combines these two contrasting moods.
What are humour and tension?
The narrator feels like this when intimidated.
What is a guilty schoolboy?
The policeman’s appearance is described as this.
What is a “big meaty man” with blue breeches and a smouldering red face?
The officer’s act of doing this adds disrespect.
What is spitting on the car?
The narrator notes the policeman looks “mean as the ______.”
What is devil?
This is the overall theme explored in the extract through authority and vulnerability.
What is power dynamics with law enforcement?
The hitch-hiker’s voice is compared to this substance.
What is soft and oily as hair cream?
The narrator’s vulnerability is shown through this comparison.
What is feeling like a guilty schoolboy?
Writing down license and registration details shows the officer’s _______.
What is authority and control?
The final conclusion says the encounter builds tension through these three things.
What are character interactions, vivid descriptions, and sharp dialogue?