language techniques in the whale rider
LANGUAGE IN ‘THE WHALE RIDER’ ‘The whale rider’ has three narrative “voices” as though there are three different people telling the story. ... It uses oral techniques such as repetition to rein-force its message. ... It makes much use of Maori language (its entry on chapter 5 is entirely in Maori) and refers to old Maori stories and traditions assuming a common knowledge of these amongst its listeners. It begins with a chapter to itself then becomes part of the chapters which contain the whale narrative.