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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Just a little Lethal by Oates

This piece is very effective in gradually revealing the narrator's character. It begins sounding almost sweet, repeating the "just a little" almost to imply innocence. There is even an implication that the addressee giggles, something the reader can take as an indication that this attention is wanted. But soon after this we see the narration fall into something darker, a much more forced nature. The "just a little"s be an twisted excuse by the narrator, telling their partner that it's not bad if it's "just a little" despite the fact that they are straining away and maybe even screaming. They're even told that this is ridiculous, as the narration turns overtly hostile and accusatory, turning the blame on the addressee.

The paragraph has a complete arc in which we become wary of the narrator and eventually find ourselves struggling with them.

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