Narrative technique

“Pretending to Know the Words” by Helen Cooper is constructed using several narrative techniques which are closely connected: fragmentation, red herring, foreshadowing, and plot twist.

Fragmentation

Fragmentation means that events are not conveyed chronologically. In this case, the story presents in parallel Luis on his sofa and earlier events from the same day while Luis...

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Red herring

The key narrative technique is probably the red herring. The writer diverts readers’ attention from the real plot and misleads them about the character.

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Foreshadowing and plot twist

These misleading hints also function as foreshadowing elements because they tell readers that the two characters are somehow connected. As it turns out, they are one and the same person.

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