Language

Style of language

The short story “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault is mostly written using formal language. Dialogue is also used in the story, which has the purpose of giving authenticity to the characters and their relationships. At times, the dialogue is written in an informal style: “ ‘Whassa matter with you?’ asked Eugie” (p. 1, l. 10). In this case, the informal style and non-standard grammar hints at Eugene’s age and at the fact that he talks like a teenager. Also, when the father asks “ ‘You kids playin' a joke?’ ” (p. 3, l. 35), the informal style reflects the man’s accent and suggests that he might not be highly educated.

The description of the morning, before the sun rises, is filled with words related to the cold weather: “cold” (p. 1, l. 23), “gray” (p. 2, l. 14), “mist” (p. 2, l. 16), “cold” (p. 2, l. 16), “colorless” (p. 2, l. 16). These words seem to predict the tragic event of Eugene’s death. Furthermore, the idea of cold is also related to Arnold and the way he feels after accidentally killing his brother and picking peas, but it also suggests the way in which others see him: “The pods were cold with the night, but his hands wer...