Language

Style of language

The short story “The Knife Thrower” by Steven Millhauser is written in a neutral style, using contractions and a manner of speech that reveals the thought processes of the collective narrator: “we couldn’t help feeling that the knife thrower had really gone too far” (p. 55, ll. 39-40). There are also many phrases from spoken language: “It must, we imagined, have galled Hensch to feel himself a freak among freaks” (p. 47, ll. 34-35), or “That was Hensch for you.” (p. 47, ll. 6-7), as well as many rhetorical questions, such as “For wasn’t he an artist, in his fashion?” (p. 47, l. 36), or “Is it surprising we didn’t know what to feel?” (p. 47, l. 42). The tone is conversational, and the general impression is of someone attempting to justify themselves to an imaginary listener. The questions suggest that the audience members are in a confused state of mind.

The narrative is mainly focused on the detailed description of Hensch’s performance, and the thoughts and feelings it arouses in the audience. There is little dialogue – the only character who speaks is Hensch’...