Language

Style of writing

The language used in the short story “The Dress” by Julia Darling is informal and easy to understand and allows readers to focus on the dynamics between characters. For example, the author relies on contrasts to illustrate the fact that there are many repressed emotions in Rachel and Flora’s family and that things are not how they seem. 

Flora’s personality is described through such contrasts. For example, the description of Flora’s room suggests that the mess in her room might be a mirror of the mess inside her mind or family. The description contains several words connected to decay, like “rotten”, “crumpled”, “broken”, and “dust”, could be considered to reflect girl’s mind or the damaged relationship between the two sisters. The room is described in contrast with Flora looking and feeling “sophisticated and elite”, and “weightless and elegant” at the café with Alberto. Here, the contrast suggests that Flora’s exterior and interior do not match. 

Another contrast highlights the mother’s uneasiness with her birthday. Aware of the tension between her daughters, she tries to dismiss it by saying “this is lovely, isn’t it”. However, this contrasts with her desire for “the...