Language
Here we characterize the language of the short story "Sea Story" by A.S. Byatt.…
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General observations
The language easy to follow and understand. The choice of words reflects two different areas. The literary quotations reflect man’s abstract, conceptual, and often romanticised thinking. The words related to the marine…
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Similes
Similes such as “the tunnel-like underpass” (l. 17) or “It is like a pop painting” (l. 109) are used to describe the setting and to make the author’s descriptions more vivid. In the example “it is like a pop painting”, the author compar…
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Metaphors
Metaphors add to the creativity of language, creating vivid images and associations. For instance, the metaphor “The space inside his skull” (l. 30) is used to describe Harold’s mind and thoughts. Then, “the waves licking it” (l. 31) associates the movement of waves with that of a …
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Repetition
The repetitions used in the text are simple but catchy. For instance, “She was mild, she was sunny.” (l. 46) brings the focus onto Laura’s character from Harold’s perspective. Also, the repetition in the dialogue passage helps suggest Harold’s shock on hearing that Laura is leavi…
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Symbols
The short story includes multiple symbols meant to emphasise the theme of opposition (in love and between man and nature).
Harold and Laura are symbols of the opposition between ocean and land. Although Harold was born and raised near the sea, his experience living inland prompted him to focus on intellectual pursuits rather than honour his connection with nature; he begins to see nature as something poetical and abstract rather than real and experiential. Laura, on the other hand, chose a life in nature and refused a relationship with Harold in favour of her relationship with the ocean.
The bottle that Harold throws into the sea with his love message is a symbol…
