Language

The language of “Love in the Suburbs” by Maeve Binchy is dynamic and easy to follow. Along with narrative passages, the story also contains descriptive passages and dialogue, which give the text more authenticity. For example, the dialogue between Justine and Bonnie helps readers better understand both teenagers’ points of view:

‘I thought you lived in Dublin,’ she said accusingly.
‘We do,’ cried Bonnie. ‘But we can’t walk home.’
‘How many miles?’ Justine’s eyes are narrowing.
‘About ten,’ Bonnie admitted shamefacedly.
‘Ten miles?’ Justine’s face was a picture of horror. (p. 75, ll. …

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Imagery

Imagery is employed in the short story mostly in connection to the suburbs and the way in which different people portray the place. On the one hand, Justine views the suburbs as a terrible place to live because they are not the city centre, describing them as worse than the countryside, as the following quotation shows:

The suburbs. Worse than living in the country.…

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Similes and metaphors

A few similes and metaphors stand out in the text. First, when Bonnie and Clive smile at each other, it seems “as if they had always known each other” (p. 77, ll. 21-22). This simile hints at the intimacy between the two and at the fact that they are probably meant fo…

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Symbols

The most important symbol in the short story is represented by the suburbs. For Bonnie, the suburbs initially symbolise her home, but, after Sheila and Justine influence her, they symbolise dis…