Language and symbols

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The contrast between Kirsty’s and Emily’s vocabularies

It is interesting to note that the language Kirsty uses differs a lot from Emily’s vocabulary. Kirsty tends to use more scientific language, which is clear right from the beginning when she discusses why onions make people cry: 

An onion's defence mechanism produces an irritating chemical, propanethial s-oxide, meant to stop the plant being consumed by pests. Once it's released, it quickly evaporates, finds its way into eyes and dissolves in the surface water to form sulphenic acid. This irritates the lacrimal - tear - gland. 

In contrast, Emily tends to use more whimsical or spiritual language, which is most clear when she talks about the lava lamp. For example, she says she sees a “headless Buddha, bumping into a detached placenta” in the shapes in the lava lamp and then explains this is “a metaphor for the life cycle and reincarnation”. 

In comparison, Kirsty focuses on the mechanics of how a lava lamp works: “As the wax blobs heat, their molecules move further apart, the…