Language
The language of “On Pale Green Walls” by Clare Wigfall is descriptive, but easy to follow. Because the narrator account events from her childhood, the childish perspective often creates humour: “I remember thinking that if he stared any harder his eyes would pop out from their sockets, imagined them rolling off his lap and across the carpet.” (ll. 60-62), “The plastic chair he was sitting in squeaked as he leant over. I wanted to giggle because it sounded like he was farting, but he was moving so close I just stayed still.” (ll. 110-111)
...
Several stylistic devices which we present below add to the literary qualities of the text and help the author convey the story in an appealing manner:
- Similes
- Metaphors
- Rhetorical questions
- Repetition
Similes
Similes are used to convey the little girl’s perspective on the events and help us understand her point of view:
- (the night) “felt like needles” (l. 2)
...
Metaphors
Metaphors create implicit comparisons and associations and make descriptions more vivid and creative. The night is associated with a sharp object in order to describe the cold— “the night was ever so sharp” (l. 2).
...
