Language

Style of language

The short story “Uncle Dougie’s Suitcase” by Alastair Chisholm is written in a relatively informal style. The narration uses contractions, and the style is casual and conversational, which gives the story a natural feel. For instance: “That was the thing about Uncle Dougie: he probably annoyed the hell out of the other adults but they couldn’t stop liking him anyway. Mum liked him really, though she rolled her eyes whenever Dad said he was visiting.” (ll. 15-17). 

At times, Douglas’s inner monologue becomes part of the narrative, like in the passage where he debates whether he should look inside the suitcase: “I was desperate to find out what it was. And it was there.... right there... (...) I could do it, I thought. I could open the case, have a peek and sneak out again. Just a peek. No one would know.” (ll. 34-38). This allows the readers to follow Douglas’s thoughts and understand his motivation.

Dougie’s story within a story is told in an informal style, too. It is a very interactive style, where the listener is an active participant along with young Douglas. Uncle Dougie uses several techniques to capture Do...