Language
The language of the short story “Waiting for Her” by Amina Henry is simple and easy to understand, to make the adolescent narrator sound authentic. For the same reason, there are numerous instances in which the language is colloquial including phrases like “stuff like that” (l. 5), “kind of stupid” (l. 6), or “the dope she did” (l. 9). Additionally, when the writer conveys how the narrator or her friends think or speak, you will notice the language does not always respect standard grammar rules: “Most everybody calls me Vicky…” (l. 14); “ ‘Hey, you nervous about your mama comin' home?’ ” …
...
Choice of words
The choice of words focuses on describing the characters and their feelings. Some of the adjectives used convey physical descriptions: “new dress” (l. 18), “green bow” (l. 18), “tall, skinny, secretive” (ll. 22-23), “Skinny, quiet little thing.” (ll. 189-190). Other adjectives focus on conveying personality traits and feelings: “a good kid, obedient, respectful” (l. 43), “really generous” (l. 101), “unc…
...
Imagery
Imagery means creating mental images for readers that transport them into the universe of the story. Imagery is created using descriptive words that convey how the characters look and act, or the setting.
One example of visual imagery is the description of the dress the narrator has to wear for her mother’s release from prison: “…new dress for the occasion, a white lacy one with a green bow in the back.” (ll. 18-19)
In another example, readers are helped to imagine what the narrator is seeing, hearing,…
...
Similes
Similes are comparisons between different elements which help the writer create associations for the readers. For example, the narrator mentions that she looks “like a baby” (l. 19) in her new dress. This simile helps convey the idea that Victory doesn’t like the dress and that the clothing item does not match who she is (a sexually active person on the verge of her teenage years), but who her grandmother and mother would like her to be.
In another instance, the narrator compares kissing and having sex in real life with the way these activities are portrayed in movies: “The kissing part is okay, almost like what I imagine it's like in the movies, but the actual thing isn't like the movies at all……
...
Metaphors
Metaphors are indirect comparisons through which the writer creates unlikely associations. For example, the phrase “feel so empty, and I just want something, anything to fill me” (ll. 32-33) metaphorically associates the narrator with an empty vessel to suggest her feelings of anxiety and loneliness.
Metaphorical imagery is…
...
Repetition and tricolon
Repetitions typically highlight and emphasize certain ideas and motifs in a story. For example, the phrase “no soft music, no candles or slow motion” (l. 111) helps convey Victory’s disappointment with her first sexual experiences. The phrase is also a tricolon as it lists three things to have a more memor…
...
Symbols
The story also includes a few elements that have a symbolic function. The “…new dress for the occasion, a white lacy one with a green bow in the back” (ll. 18-19) is symbolic of innocence because it makes the narrator look like a baby, although she is twelve years old. It is also symbolic of the fact that both the grandmother and mother would like the narrator to remain an…
