Language

Style of language

The language used by Salman Rushdie in the short story “Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies” is neutral, with touches of formality given by the ceremonial ways in which the main characters address each other at times: “ ‘Miss,’ he began. ‘You have come for permit to London. I think so?’ ” (p. 282, l. 23) 

The author uses plenty of words which help present the local color of Pakistan: “pakoras” (p. 286, l. 7), “coolies ” (p. 286, l. 5), “lala” (p. 282, l. 11), “chilipakoras” (p. 282, l. 25), “sahibs” (p. 283, l. 37), “ayah ” (p. 286, l. 27). 

The story also contains informal expressions such as “hey presto” (p. 284, l. 35) or “tip-top” (p. 283, l. 28), which give the characters and dialogue a more authentic feel. Furthermore, when it comes to how the characters speak, the narrative often relies on non-standard grammatical constructions, which are typical for non-native speakers of En...