Analysis

The analysis of “Just Like That” by Michael Richards reveals that the short story is structured chronologically, with the narrative focusing on events that spread over the course of a few hours. The story also contains several foreshadowing elements and moments of tension, which lead towards the open ending.

The main characters of the short story are the boy and the man. It never becomes entirely clear what their relationship is, although they could be father and son. 

The events take place in Australia, as the narrative mentions kangaroos. However, the story’s main focus is on the social setting, which explores gender roles and the relationship between human beings and nature.

The short story is told by a third-person narrator who adopts the boy’s perspective of the events. The narration is often implicit, especially towards the end of the story, where it is not fully revealed what happens.

The language used in the short story is formal. When dialogue is used, the replies are short and cold, a feature which emphasizes the differences between the boy and the man.

A full analysis of the short story can be found in the following pages.