Language

Style of language

In her short story “Close to the Water’s Edge’, author Claire Keegan uses language that is characterized by a mix of neutral and informal styles. This mostly suggests the difference between the young man and his mother. The young man’s speech sounds natural, without being forced, while the mother is sometimes formal, probably in an attempt to reject her humble background. The neutral style is used mostly in the narration, in which complex ideas and descriptive passages convey the main character’s reflective state of mind: “He can see it now, the strip of angry waves breaking in the shallows. (…) the brown pelicans are back. They look pre-historic gliding over the water, scooping their prey with their huge bills, their high, plummeting dives” (p. 144, ll. 16-21). The events are narrated in the present tense, highlighting what the young man sees and experiences.

The informal style can be found in the dialogue and is indicated, for example, by contract...