Language
The language of the short story “The Night of the Full Moon” by K. S. Duggal is often figurative and romanticised, which makes it more complex. Nevertheless, this does not pose any impediment to understanding the plot and following it. The choice of words reflects the setting of an Indian village society through words like: “dupatta” (p. 27, l. 17), “hennah” (p. 28, ll. 8-9), or “Bhabi” (p. 34, l. 3).
The first part of the story is mostly conveyed in the narrative mode and follows Malan’s thoughts and actions. In the last part of the story, dialogue is used more, as the villagers accuse Minnie’s daughter of having spent the night with a man. Several slang words and offensive terms are used in this part, to convey the judgemental nature of the villagers: “ ‘Where is that slut?’ he roared. ‘Couldn’t she find another field for whoring?’” (p. 34, ll. 20-21).
Several language features make the narration more vivid and help to convey the author's meaning. We will outline them below:
- Imagery
- Similes
- Metaphors
- Rhetorical questions
- Symbols
Similes
Similes and comparisons are frequently used in the short story, particularly to describe the two female characters:
“looked like sisters” (p. 26, l.17)
“She was like a pearl” (p. 26, l. 20)
“as slender as a cypress” (p. 27, ll. 20-21)
...
Metaphors
Various metaphors (implicit comparisons/associations) make the language of the story romanticised and the descriptions more appealing. Instead of saying Malan is crying, the author writes that “pearls dropped from her eyes” (p. 26, ll. 28-29). This makes her grief appear beautiful and poetic.
Life is compared to a day in a courtyard, in which the afternoon is the equivalent of getting old: “the afternoon shadows had lengthened across life’s courtyard” (p. 27, ll. 7-8).
...
Rhetorical questions
Numerous rhetorical questions help the author convey the main character’s worries and dilemmas with regards to her life, her feelings for her admirer, or the future:
…
