Analysis

In what follows, you can see some of the most important topics we address in our analysis of  “Tell Me” by Zoë Sharp.

The short story is structured around an event in the life of a Crime Scene Investigator, Grace McColl. The plot is constructed with the help of an exposition, a rising action, and a climactic ending.

The main characters in the short story “Tell Me” by Zoë Sharp are Grace McColl and the girl whom she interrogates in the park. Although the ending of the story reveals that the girl was dead all along, she is an important character because she depicts the consequences of being born and raised in a poor environment, by an abusive or alcoholic parent.

The social setting is far more important than the time or physical setting of the story. It reveals a lot of information about the possible consequences of living in a poor environment with abusive or neglectful parents.

The short story is rendered by a third-person narrator who mostly confines himself/herself to Grace’s perspective. It is through Grace’s eyes that readers get to know the girl who was attacked and it is also Grace who finds out the truth about the girl by analysing the evidence.

The language employed in the text is easy to understand, and dialogue is employed to render the dynamics between Grace and the girl. Moreover, the author relies on symbolism, similes, imagery, and metaphors to convey its message and the deeper meaning of the text.

Read the next pages for the full analysis of the story!