A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat Analysis
Students studying the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A qualification must study all ten of the non-fiction texts in Part 1 of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Anthology in preparation for Paper 1. You will be given one of the ten texts in your exam, along with another unseen text, which is thematically linked. Section A, Question 4 will be specifically about the anthology text, and Question 5 will ask you to compare the anthology text with the unseen text.
The following guide to A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat by Emma Levine contains:
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat overview
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat
How does Levine present her ideas and perspectives?
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat overview
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat is an excerpt taken from a book by Emma Levine, a British journalist, who wrote about her experiences of watching unusual games and sports played in Asia, but not anywhere else in the world. In this passage, she tells of her experience trying to photograph a donkey race in Karachi, Pakistan.
A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat summary
The passage is structured so that it tells the story of the race from beginning to end. It opens with Levine trying to find the best viewing spot to photograph the donkey race, and waiting for the action to finally happen. Just as she thinks the race is not going ahead, she sees the approaching donkeys and vehicles, and then chaos erupts. People, cars, vans, taxis, lorries and donkeys all race and jostle for position, and Levine is in the back of a vehicle whose young driver decides to try to get to the front.
The race finishes in confusion and arguments over which donkey won. The situation turns volatile, and Levine is driven away, with her young driver revealing that he does not even have a driving licence as he is under the legal driving age.
Themes, ideas and perspectives in A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat
Paper 1, Question 4 will ask you to explore how the writer has used language and structure to present a theme or idea within their text. Paper 1, Question 5 will ask you to compare how the writer presents their ideas and perspectives with the unseen text.
What are the key themes in A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat?
Theme | Analysis |
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East versus West |
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Culture |
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How does Levine present her ideas and perspectives?
Levine uses a variety of language and structural techniques to present her ideas and perspectives.
Technique | Analysis |
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In medias res |
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Chronological structure |
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Colloquial language |
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Short sentences |
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Humour |
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Imagery |
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Juxtaposition |
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Onomatopoeia |
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Tone |
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Rule of three |
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Personification |
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For more guidance on how to get top marks in your exam, check out our comprehensive revision notes on Paper 1, Question 4:
Question 4 Skills: Language and Structure Analysis
And see our guides for the other IGCSE English Language Anthology texts here:
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill |
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