Language

Style of writing

The language used by Nadine Gordimer in the short story “Terminal” helps create the sad atmosphere of the story and reveals the woman’s attitude in connection with her terminal illness. 

When it comes to the choice of words, the story uses several words and expressions from the medical field, like “hospital” (p. 142, ll. 2-3), “wound” (p. 142, l. 25), “incurable” (p. 143, l. 20), “terminal” (p. 143, l. 21), and “exploratory operation” (p. 143, l. 26), which give the text an authentic feel. The characters, however, never mention the woman’s illness – possibly bowel cancer – the type of surgery, or the colostomy bag. This choice illustrates the woman’s reluctance to think or talk about how the illness affects her. 

The woman’s attitude towards her illness is suggested by the repetition of the expression “fairy story”. First, she sarcastically thinks that the doctors “should have co-ordinated their fairy story”...