Language

The language of the short story “Tickits” by Paul Milenski is very simple and easy to follow. The feature which catches the reader’s eye is the use of misspelled words. All the main character’s tickets are misspelled suggesting that he has learning difficulties: “On the yellow paper Toby had printed in red ink "PRAKING MISTEAK" and signed his name "TOBY" in a childish-looking hand.” (p. 1, ll. 2-3)

The author conveys the story mostly in the discursive (narrative) mode. However, dialogue lines are occasionally employed. It’s striking that the protagonist, Toby, never talks which suggests that he may have a speech disorder:

‘How's it going, Toby?’ McVee said.
Toby pulled out his pad, showed it to McVee.
‘Lots of business, eh Toby?’
Toby put his pad back, nodded. His eyes rolled, looked tortured. (p. 1, ll. 21-24)

Imagery

Imagery (conveying mental images through descriptive words) is used in the story in connection to action, setting, and characters. For instance, at the beginning of the short story we can...

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Metaphors and epithets

The author does not rely on conventional or elaborate figures of speech to make the descriptions more vivid. For example, there are no similes in the story.

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Symbols

The story includes several symbols which help the author convey deeper meanings in a concise narrative.

The shoes – Toby’s and the patrolman’s—are a symbol of status and self-respect. This is why Toby always keeps his shoes...

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