Style analysis for see them di
Style analysis for see them diStyle Analysis for
See them Die,
McBain aims to lead the reader into the bleak litter-strewn environment of a crowded American slum with its inherent threat of violence. Two dominating forces, Heat and July, established in the first two words, emerge as double personifications, prostitutes, in the first paragraph, their brazen ‘vengeance’, strutting insolently, garishly, born to make you suffer.
Here the tone is aggressive, and menacing as McBain establishes the control his ‘twin bitches’ exert. This colourful start, rich in uncompromising nastiness, serves as a spring board for the more oppressive atmosphere neglect creates, and the sordid sense of entrapment which follows.
‘The air is tangible’ personifies the air, giving it purpose in its drab surroundings, and along with the onomatopoeic ‘sticky’ and ‘clinging’, conveys a sense of desolation. McBain then focuses on the visual ‘nastiness’, spraying sensory feelings throughout the next four lines, ‘off-white brilliance’, ‘light that is dizzying’ and ‘shimmer of blue’, all bring with them feelings of intense light, and a harsh, unnatural environment.
The inseparable ideas of ‘heat’ and ‘July’ give the piece a secure foundation on which the detail builds. This structural security, reinforced by three other lines also set in isolation, gives McBain’s writing an uncompromising edge, thus complementing his bleak tone.
It is only 8:40 am…and it its Sunday.
Placed almost midway, offers a structural reminder that much more will follow when the people wake up; that in fact we are experiencing...
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