Language
The language of “Departure Time” by Tessa Green is simple and easy to follow. Most of the story is conveyed in the narrative mode, mixing descriptions of present moments with the character’s flashbacks from the past. The choice of words is connected to travelling, family life, and cultural differences.
The author uses imagery (descriptive language) to convey mental images about the setting and the action, such as in the following example: “Patras station is tall and yellow with pale marble floors…
...
Rhetorical questions
A few rhetorical questions are intended to show the character’s worries and to map her line of thought, such as in the following examples: “How long will his smell last? Will she suck it all out?” (ll. 22-23); “...she felt superio…
...
Similes
The simile is the most common figure of speech used by Tessa Green in the short story. Samantha’s perspective on what she is living is often conveyed using similes. For her, the Patras train station “looks like a grown-up building” (l. 2) whic…
...
Metaphors
Figurative language using metaphors helps make the story more appealing. For instance, Samantha’s anxiety is described as “a hard grey lump sitting in her stomach” (l. 21). Also, in order to suggest that Samantha has constantly been thinking…
...
Symbols
A few elements mentioned in the story also fulfil a symbolic function. The train station and the train are symbols of freedom for Samantha; they are her way of escaping an unhappy, constraining married life.
The broken seat in the train can be …
