Language

In “Blackberries”, Ellen Hunnicutt has employed simple language that is very easy to understand. The sentences are either short or medium-length, and few figures of speech are employed. This is because the author’s purpose was not to over-embellish her text but to keep it simple and allow readers to interpret it in different ways.

Imagery

Imagery (descriptive fragments) is employed in the text scarcely, generally in connection to the way the spouses look:

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Repetition

The woman’s seemingly obsessive repetition regarding the lack of milk could be a way of her suggesting that she wants a baby and that her time to be a mother could be passing quick.

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Symbols

The camping site where the action takes place becomes symbolic of the isolation between husband and wife, but also of the isolation between them and the rest of the society. Because they are alone, the two of them are forced to talk to each other and listen to what the other has to say.

The theater tour the wife mentions becomes symbolic of the woman’s need for change/entertainment.

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