Language

Choice of words and style of writing

The language employed in “Eastmouth” by Alison Moore is descriptive and generally easy to follow. The choice of words often reflects the characters’ perspective. For example, the narrator, who borrows Sonia’s perspective, describes the seagulls in negative terms: “filling the yard with their shrieks” (l. 56); “she thinks is the sound of babies crying, but it is only the gulls. She finds the noise depressing” (ll. 70-71). Meanwhile, for Peter, the sound made by the seagulls is a comforting reminder of home: “ ‘I’ve missed the sound of the gulls,’ says Peter” (l. 7).

The author uses contractions in the dialogue, but not in the narration, which helps with realism, as it conveys the informal tone of the characters: “ ‘I don't live here,’ says Sonia. She is surprised that Peter's mother does not know this” (ll. 53-54). We also encounter special characters – the heart sign in “I love Las Vegas” (l. 65) and “I love Eastmouth” (l. 87), which contribute to the realism of the story.

Similes

Th...