Analysis

Here is an excerpt from the analysis pages:

The short story “The Voice of The People” by Alison Moore begins in medias res with Glenda deciding to drive to the retail park to buy weedkiller and almost running over a pigeon who did not move out of the way. The story has a circular structure, because it ends with Glenda walking on the road, just as slow to avoid an incoming car as the pigeon.

The story follows Glenda’s activities on the day of the protest, and then a week and a half later. However, the structure is non-linear. There are a few switches from present to past, as Glenda remembers past events, connecting them to the present. This is how readers gain background knowledge to understand what is happening in the story. For instance, we learn that Glenda buys the weedkiller to take care of the garden because Dougie is too tired to do it himself. We also learn why Dougie is exhausted, and about the protests that the women have been planning. This helps the readers make the connection between the slow pigeons and the tired villagers and realize that the factory emissions are probably to blame. 

There is a flashback when Glenda remembers how she motivated the women to take action by reminding them of their youth, and the women agreed to participate in the protest. This offers us valuable information about Glenda’s personality.