Language

The language of the short story “Eel” by Stefanie Seddon is generally easy to follow and understand although it is often figurative and metaphorical.

Style of writing

The choice of words indicates an informal style of writing. Occasionally, the author inserts slang words which give the story more authenticity: “bobs” (l. 16); “slasher” (l. 88); “whopper” (l. 106), etc. Contractions such as “we’d”, “didn’t”, etc. help give the story authenticity and create a feeling of familiarity between the narrator and the reader.

Narration is mixed with the narrator’s reflections on the events and a few quotes. This gives the story dynamism and helps the author convey more about the characters and their relationships with each other

Imagery

Imagery plays a very important part in the story. The narrator describes the events, the setting, and the characters in detail and a very vivid manner.

Imagery is created throughout the story in connection with the setting: “Sunlight smoked through the top of the forest, filling the space beneath with hazy golden lines.” (ll. 42-43); “The bush hissed with cicadas” (l. 56);

Imagery is also used in characterizations: “He’d come out of the sheds all lean and muscled” (ll. 9-10); “glances exchanged back and forth between Ted and the twins” (l.22-23);

Finally, imagery is created as Archie describes the eel and how he injures himself mishandling it:

He must have been six feet long, from his thick black head to the tip of his tail, as wide as a grown man’s thigh. He seemed anchored to the spot; rimless, milky eyes fixed dead ahead while his body swished back and forth like the curve of a ribbon. (ll. 46-48)

The head slid out of my grasp and thu...