Language
The language of the short story “Heart is Where the Home is” by Thea Astley combines Standard English with Aboriginal English—a more basic version of the language— which might make the story harder to follow by readers. However, the use of Aboriginal English is important because it gives the story the local colour and makes the characters more authentic:
The other women got scared, fixed to the spot like they grow there, all shakin and whimperin. Stuck. ‘You'll be trouble,’ they warned. ‘You'll be trouble.’
‘Don't care,’ she said. "They not takin my kid.’ (p. 64, ll. 7-8)
The author mixes descriptive and narrative passages with dialogue and free indirect speech. “But no. The buggers just took it. Took it and took it.” (p. 62, l. 9) is an example of free indirect speech reproducing the opinion of the policemen and not that of the narrator.
Next, we will pinpoint the next elements of language found in the text:
- Imagery
- Similes
- Metaphors and hyperboles
- Repetition
- Symbols
Metaphors and hyperboles
The text is filled with figurative, metaphorical expressions. For instance, “that world of the policeman's eye” (p. 62, l. 13) describes the visual perspective of the policeman. Then, Nelly running through the woods is compared to a worm crawling:
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Repetition
A number of repetitions add emphasis to the text such as in the following three examples:
“But no. The buggers just took it. Took it and took it.” (p. 62, l. 9)
“…she bin run run run an he gallop after her an hit her one two, cracka, cracka…” (p. 63, ll. 21-22)
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Symbols
The story also includes a few symbols, hidden in some elements of the physical setting.
The rain forest becomes a symbol of the labyrinth as Nelly struggles to find an escape from the policemen who are pursuing her.
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