Language

Style of writing

When looking at language in “The Battler” by Ernest Hemingway, the choice of words is interesting. It indicates an informal style of writing because certain informal expressions, such as “suck him in” (l. 13), “bust their hands on” (l. 79), and “hang onto” (l. 143) are used. Contractions such as “ain’t”, “I’ll”, “haven’t”, etc. are present throughout the text. They are mainly used in the dialogue, giving it authenticity and conveying a feeling of familiarity between the characters. For the same reason, the text also makes use of slang terms such as “crut” (l. 10), and “yellow-livered” (l. 178).

Grammatical errors such as missing auxiliary verbs - “I seen her” (l. 231) - or incorrect subject-verb agreement - “they wasn’t” (l. 225) – are used to recreate a natural speech pattern. This speech pattern also reflects the social background and educational level of the characters.

Descriptive language

Descriptive language is present throughout the text and is usually constructed in connection with the characters and the setting. The author makes use of vivid and descriptive language which appeals to human senses to add depth to the story.

For example, the narrator uses language that refers to movement and appearance to describe the actions of the characters: “He drank the coffee and wiped his lips with the pink palm of his hand” (l. 228). There is a...