Analysis
The short story “Machine Man” by Marlish Glorie follows an anti-climax plot structure with tension building up in the rising action without actually leading to a climax. Backstories help give background to the plot while the red herring technique misleads readers about the ending of the story.
The story features several characters: Paul, Black Jack, Nut, Iris, and a nurse. Paul is the main character in the story – a man who is mocked because of his looks and low level of intelligence and who longs to have a mother. His characterisation is conveyed by using his point of view on the events and by presenting his actions and motives.
The setting of the story is a city in Australia, where the events take place in a car wrecker’s yard and in a nursing home. The social setting explores aspects related to the treatment and exploitation of people who are different, life in a nursing home, and prejudices.
The story has a first-person narrator, who is also the main character, Paul. The narrator is unreliable because he intentionally deceives others and because he does not seem to be able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
The language of the story is simple and not overly descriptive. The author mainly uses colloquial English to give the characters’ background authenticity. The dominant literary device is the simile, but repetitions and symbols are also present.