Language

Style of language

The language in the short story “Son of Satan” by Charles Bukowski is informal. The style of language is spare and harsh, creating the impression of a hostile environment. The narrative is focused on dialogue and actions, using many verbs and few adjectives, contributing to the dirty realism and the atmosphere of violence and fear.

There is an overwhelming frequency of negative words in the text, most of which refer to violent acts and physical discomfort, for example: "sissy" (p. 40, l. 23), "He looked terrible." (p. 43, l. 16). The children express themselves using vulgar terms and swear words. Sometimes, their phrasing is nonsensical, as their main intent is to insult and to use as many shocking words as possible. For example: “ ‘Wanna hide under your mother’s skirt while the dishes fall out of her pussy?’ ” (p. 40, ll. 25-26). 

The emphasis on certain words in spoken speech is conveyed in the text by the use of italics, indicating that some words are spoken louder or with a different intonation than the re...