Language

Style of language

“The Moment Before the Gun Went Off” by Nadine Gordimer is written in an informal style. The tone is casual, and the narration uses contractions, closely resembling real speech: “It’s made for them. They’ll be able to use it in their boycott and divestment campaigns. It’ll be another piece of evidence in their truth about the country.” (ll. 9-11) 

The tone is emotionally charged, using conversational phrases such as “It just goes to show what shock can do” (l. 40), and rhetorical questions which receive their own answers, suggesting an inner monologue, such as “But how can those others know that? They don’t want to know it.” (ll. 31-32). 

The style of language also involves the reader directly on occasion, such as: “When you look at the newspaper photographs you feel like apologising; as if you had started in on some room where you should not be” (ll. 40-42). This has the effect of drawing the reader into the narrative, while also highlighting the mental struggle of the main character from whose perspective the story is mainly told. 

The story lacks dialogue, which also heightens the impression of a monologue or a confession. 

The narrative also jumps from one event or line...