Language

Style of language and tone

The tone used in Anne Billson’s postmodern short story “Born Again” is often humorous and ironic. One example is Nancy’s description of her fainting from shock when she learns that she is pregnant: “Soon after I’d recovered from a second dose of perfectly safe sedative, Dr Webster and I had a long chat.” (p. 79, ll. 30-31). She never uses the word ‘fainted’ which makes her description understated. Instead, she focuses on the sedative she has been given; her wording mimics what Dr Webster said previously about the drug being ‘perfectly safe’. This creates a comic effect and makes her sound ironic. 

The use of irony is something frequently used in postmodern texts. The irony creates a distance to what is going on, and this is exactly what goes on in “Born Again” as well. Throughout most of the story, Nancy is emotionally detached from what is happening to her, and her ironic comments help underline this.

When it comes to the choice of words, the narrative includes many terms related to religion, the Bible, and Christianity. The man in Nancy’s flat reveals that he belongs to the “Brothers of the Divine Order of the Dead Saints” (p. 84, l. 28). When Nancy is attacked, she is called “Whore of Babylon” (p. 77, l. 21), which reminds readers of the Bible, specifically of the book of Revelations, which talks about the ending of the world. In Christianity, Babylon also symbolizes evil. Also, the man mentions the “blood of the Lamb” (p. 85, l. 8), another reference to Jesus and Christianity. 

The story also contains several medi...