Language
In “Compassion Circuit” by John Wyndham, the language used by the author is fairly simple and easy to comprehend, even though the story belongs to the science fiction genre. The author employs common English in the text and relies on both narrative passages and dialogue to reveal what happens. There are also a few stylistic and linguistic devices that the author uses in the t…
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Dialogue
Dialogue has a very important role in the story, as it presents the dynamics and relationships between characters. For example, the dialogue between George and the doctor highlights the doctor-patient relationship, but also the differences in status. It is clear, from the following example, that the doctor is the one who dominates the conversation and has greater authority than George:
‘It’ll make a dent. But, after all, it’s mostly Janet’s economies and simple-living that’s built up the savings. Where do I get one?’
‘You don’t. Not just like that,’ the doctor told him. ‘I shall have to throw a bit of wei…
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Imagery
Imagery, which is commonly known as the use of descriptive passages in a literary text, has the role of offering a vivid image of the characters. For example, imagery is employed when Janet describes what she wants Hester to look like:
She shook her head. ‘No. It’s going to have to look after me, too, so I think I’d rather it was a housemaid. It can have a black silk dress, and a…
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Similes
Similes are yet another stylistic device used by the author. There are quite a few similes employed in the text, but we advise you to focus on the most important ones. When Janet insists that she wants to have the robot “looking like a housemaid” (l. 68), the simile suggests her wish to avoid artificial-looking robots and her need to have a companion by her side.
Janet’s association of Hester with a human being is also indicated by the way in which she views the mechanic: “… and the robot-mechanic …
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Symbols
The most important symbol in the short story is the robot, the machine that is fully integrated in the society of the future. On the one hand, the robot symbolises progress and technological advancement, as suggested by the doctor’s explanation:
‘A specially developed high-sensibility job with a quite novel contra-balanced compassion-protection circuit (…) any direct order which a normal robot would obey at once is evaluated by the circuit, weighed against the benefit or harm to the patient, and un…
