Language

Choice of words

The language in the short story “The Aliens” by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is formal. The text is written in the past tense, as the events have already happened: “Peggy woke up to the sounds of a quarrel. There was nothing unusual in this, for there was a quarrel every morning and it usually woke her up. Everyone in the house had a very loud voice.” (ll. 1-3). Dialogue is also frequently used, giving the story a dynamic feel and giving a voice to the characters.

As the text deals with Peggy’s experiences in India, the choice of words helps create the authentic atmosphere of the story. For instance, the word “Ayah” (l. 157) is used to refer to an Indian maid or nanny. The word “memsahib” (l. 48) refers to a rich white woman living in India and is used ironically by the mother-in-law to describe Sarla. Furthermore, the authentic Indian atmosphere is created when the author describes the food eaten by the family: “Peggy’s husband, Dev, sat at the other end of the dining-room table, eating a breakfast of lentils, puris, pickles and fried vegetables.” (ll. 11-12). The references to saris also help readers imagine ...