Language

The language employed in “De-Luxe Model” by Adam Thorpe is very simple and easy to understand. Modern readers, however, might find it a bit hard to pinpoint terms such as “charlady” (l. 13), “Colston” (l. 39) or “Dinky toys” (l. 7), as they belong to the beginning of the twentieth century. Still, despite the fact that they belong to a different period, the words do not pose problems when it comes to understanding the story.

Note that the text also combines narrative and descriptive passages with dialogue, which is mostly used to depict the way children think and act:

‘It must feel a bit trapped in there,’ I said.
‘I’m training Baz to behave like a pet,’ Hugh said. ‘Once I’ve trained him, he can play in my room and sleep on my pillow and do whatever he wants.’
‘A bit lonely in there,’ I persisted.
 ‘Oh shut your cakehole,’ Hugh snapped, and shoved me onto his pillow where I pretended to die in agony.
 (ll. 97-102)

Also, note that dialogue is not employed when Hugh’s parents talk. This implies that Hugh’s mother acts bossy and probably does not admit any replies, while Hugh’s father probably knows that replying will be in vain.

We advise you to also pay attention to the stylistic and linguistic devices employed by the author, as they are very interesting to analyse:

  • Imagery
  • Similes and comparisons
  • Irony
  • Hyperbole
  • Symbols

Imagery

Imagery – or the use of descriptive language – is mostly used when the setting is depicted. Take a look at the following fragment to discover visual imagery that helps readers visualise the way in which the Goulds’ kitchen looks like:

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Irony

At times, the narrator uses irony to depict the situation in Hugh’s house. For instance, when the narrator is almost sure that the mouse has gotten into the dishwasher, Hugh’s reply becomes ironic: ‘Bombs away,’ said Hugh, as if he could read my mind. Then, Hugh also seems to be ironic towards his mother when they discuss the silence of the dishwasher (while it obviously makes an infernal sound):

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Symbols

An important symbol in the short story is the dishwasher, which symbolises the modernity and the mechanisation brought by the twentieth century. Dishwashers became common in households during the 1940s-1950s, and they symbolised wealth pride.

The mouse in the short story is used to symbolise the narrator and the fact that he dislikes his “cramped and messy modern house” (l. 20).

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