Language

Style of writing

The language of the short story “I Dare You” by Eileen Merriman is generally easy to follow and understand.

The author uses italics to emphasise certain changes in tone or to convey sounds: “ ‘Oh my God,’ Carrie yelled” (l. 6); “Thud. Carrie landed beside me.”  (l. 9). Italics are also used to convey the narrator’s inner thoughts: “I dare you.” (l. 36). This is explained later in the story – while Jane remembers that night, she hears William’s words in her mind (ll. 170-171).

The author also uses fragmented sentences. For example, to emphasise the importance that Jane and Carrie place on the dare but also the fact that the dares led to Carrie’s disappearance, the narrator states: “ ‘Dare for a dare.’ I said, the words falling between us. Leaden. Solid. Irretrievable.” (l. 21).

Short sentences are then used to convey Jane’s fragmented memories of what happened after she took drugs but also to create suspense: “Another field. Carrie asking Will what was in the pipe. Will saying, trust me, Miley, this will blow your mind. Carrie, inhaling and turning to me: I dare you. Me, insisting: I don’t want to play the game anymore.” (ll. 160-161).

Imagery and personification

Imagery is mostly created in connection with the setting and the characters. The story begins in a park, at sunset. Personification is used to convey the warm weather, the sunset and create imagery: “The sun was slipping behind the hills, and the air was thick and balmy.” (ll. 1-2); “the dying sun bled into the sky” (l. 8).

Imagery is then created as Jane jumps off her swing, as she attempts to appear brave in front of Carrie: “So I jumped off the swing, right when I had reached its dizzy peak, and tumbled into the grass below.” (ll. 4-5). The sens...