Language

The choice of words in “After Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac” by Rachel Cusk is related to art (painting), parenthood and love, and reflects the story’s plot and symbolism.

Imagery (descriptive language) is occasionally used, regarding actions and characters, and it helps the author create mental images for the reader that reflect the narrator’s perspective: “She was the opposite of Sally, she was very well educated and delicate and beautiful. Her face belonged in one of those paintings, a Giotto, a Bellini.” (ll. 60-62)

Similes and personifications

Throughout the text, the author uses various extended comparisons and contrasts between Sally and Gerte, or between the narrator and Sally as parents. However, the most relevant short similes are “like he’s reading something private” (l. 4), “like a ghost” (ll. 71-72), and “I was like a mad compass” (l. 76).

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Repetition

Repetitions are used from time to time to convey the narrator’s inner conflicts and regrets: “I didn’t have the courage to leave. I didn’t have the confidence in myself.” (ll. 50-51); “I was ashamed, ashamed of Sally, ashamed of our house and the things in it, ashamed of our friends and the things we talked about.” (ll. 54-55)

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Symbols

The most important symbols in the short story are the title, the paintings in the art gallery, and Gerte’s character.

The title of the short story, “After Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac” is symbolic of the narrator’s willingness to sacrifice his son (abandoning Ian) for a higher ideal (art and love).

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