Analysis
This section highlights the main elements of our analysis of the story “The Lazy River” by Zadie Smith.
The story’s plot structure is linear, and it features narrative techniques such as foreshadowing. The story focuses on metaphors about life, political issues, and environmental concerns.
The characters of the story are the group of tourists, including the unnamed narrator, and the immigrant workers.
The events take place in southern Spain, in the province of Almeria. The social setting explores illegal immigration, difficult work conditions, the Brexit referendum, and class differences.
The events are described by an omniscient first-person narrator, but the point of view switches to second-person several times.
The story is told in a descriptive style, which includes descriptive language, metaphors, references, and symbolism. The language is easy to understand, employing an informal style and occasionally mixing narration with dialogue, which helps the reader understand more about the characters and the events.
You can find a full analysis of the story in the following pages.