Language
The language employed in the short story “Death by Scrabble” by Charlie Fish is very simple and easy to understand. One interesting element of the text is the way in which the author has chosen to structure the sentences, in short fragments, some of which are comprised of a single short phrase such as: “My letters are crap”. Also, this separation between fragments adds to the suspense in the story; the phrases succeed rapidly and make the readers curious about what will happen next.
Another element related to the language in the short story is the capitalization of the words the couple creates on the Scrabble board. On the one hand, the capitalization makes the word easy to spot. On the other hand, the capitalization only increases the suspense, like in the following example: “My wife plays DEATH for 34 points, just as the room starts to shake.”
Also, note that the entire narrative lacks dialogue, which is yet another way of the author suggesting the lack of communication between the spouses.
Below, we will present some other interesting linguistic and stylistic devices employed by the author:
- Imagery
- Onomatopoeia
- Metaphor
- Colloquial
- Symbols
Imagery
Visual and sensory images help readers imagine the scenes described. Generally, imagery is constructed with the help of descriptive words. In “Death by Scrabble”, imagery can be noticed in the following fragments:
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Metaphor
When the husband plays the word “QUAKE”, the “trembling energy of potential” becomes a metaphor for the possibility of his wife dying, but also for his immense desire to see his wife gone. At the same time, “commanding fate” and “manipulating destiny” are...
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Symbols
The Scrabble board symbolizes the physical representation of the conflict between husband and wife. On the outside, the two do not interact violently. On the Scrabble board, however, they become enemies,...
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