Language

The language of the short story “Sports Leader” by Jane Rogers is not very complex, but it includes various dialect words, idioms and colloquial expressions which might be harder to follow by non-native English readers. The dialect words and the idioms help the author to give the story the local colour and the characters authenticity: “And he might get an eyeful. ‘Sometimes you get an eyeful,’ the window cleaner told him. “Boobies, fannies, shagging, I’ve seen the lot.’ ” (ll. 12-13); “ ‘Get a move on you dozy twat!’ Phil shook the ladder. ‘Are you off on one again, you?’ ” (ll. 27-28)

The choice of words reflects the simple lifestyle of the characters, and it sometimes focuses on the inside of houses, which are symbolic of the family life that the character misses.

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Similes

Similes help the author make the boy’s perspective clearer to the readers. In the following examples, the similes suggest that the boy has created a fictitious image of his parents’ house: “Theirs was like one of them stately homes on TV. Long shiny floors and lights like diamonds…” (ll. 22-23)

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Repetition

Repetition is used to create emphasis and to suggest something about the boy’s character. The repetition “And a white sofa. Two white sofas.” (l. 24) is meant to suggest that the boy dreams of a perfect family life which reflects in the way he imagines the family house.

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Symbols

A few elements mentioned in the story also have a symbolical function.

The windows that the boy and his employer clean are a symbol of access to intimacy. Through the windows, they can have a sneak peek into people’s private lives.

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