Language

Style of language

The language used by Anna Hope in the short story “A Gap of Sky” is mainly informal, as the narrative echoes how Ellie, a 19-year-old girl, speaks. In particular, the stream-of-consciousness technique suggests that we see her inner monologue. This can be seen by the frequent interjections of single words or incomplete sentences:

Find the wrap, in the bra. The bra, in a tender little pile on the floor, curled around her knickers. Yessssss! Clever Ellie. Little bump just to get things started. Nice, now. Coffee. Swill out cafetière, fill it. Computer. Is. On. Fags… Student shop. (ll. 31-33)

Furthermore, the narrative also contains slang and expletives, mirroring Ellie’s way of talking: “Fuuuuuuck… she shoots up from under the duvet, scrabbles for her phone, finds it beside her pillow. 16:29. Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit” (ll. 12-13). Slang is also used when the narrative mentions “coke” (l. 20), which is an informal term for cocaine, or “K” (l. 20), which is an informal term for the drug Ketamine.

Choice of words

When it comes to...