Language
The language of the short story “Open Or Wrapped” by Lynne Rees is simple and easy to follow, filled with idioms and colloquial language, which reflect the characters’ background and the context (the action happens in a fish and chips bar).
Idioms like “chuck out time” (l. 12), “rock back and fore” (l. 13), “lunged at her” (l. 33), “jeering and egging” (l. 37) give the story an aut…
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Similes and metaphors
A few metaphors stand out in the text. When the narration conveys Francine’s mother’s attitude, metaphors are used to describe her red lips as bleeding, and her exaggerated perfume smell as a cloud: “And she’d bleed her lips on a Kleenex and waft off to the Social…
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Repetition
Two repetitions catch the reader’s attention in the text. The word ‘love’ is constantly used when the narration conveys how the men talk to Francine and helps convey both a typically British…
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Symbols
The most relevant symbols in the text are the pickled eggs, Francine’s breasts, and the counter. Her breasts are symbolic of women being sexually objectified according to their physical appearance. For Francine, having large breasts is a source of stress because she always gets men’s unwanted attention. However, this is not something she can …
