Language

Style of language in ll. 1-18

The language in the short story “The Quiet One” by Stephen Gibbin is informal. It thereby reflects the main character’s way of speaking. Liam is young and belongs to the working class, and this is evident from his language.

Your exam question asks you to analyze the style of language in lines 1-18, specifically. The lines offer a lot of information Liam as a character. For example, the use of the names of different plants such as “cow-parsley” (l. 1), “old man’s beard and hawthorn, wild garlic and celandine” (ll. 1-2) shows that Liam has a lot of botanical knowledge. It is not something he learned in school, but from his grandfather. 

The language used in lines 1-18 also helps to contrast two spheres of Liam’s life. On the one hand, his school life is described via words with negative meanings, such as “bullied” (l. 5), “ignored” (l. 6), “angry” (l. 15), “kicked” (l. 15), and “told off” (l. 16). The repetition of the phrase “School was shit” (l. 5) also helps to show Liam’s dislike of this place. On the other hand, his grandfather’s shed in the little garden is described via positive words, which contrast with Liam’s feelings about school: “The shed was the best” (l. 18) or “Best place to read was in Grandad’s shed” (ll. 4-5). 

Lastly, British words and slang offer information about Liam’s nationality and way of spea...