Previous
Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
"The Fly" is written in a simple, straightforward style often that is associated with Realist literature. The descriptive but uncomplicated sentences make it easy for readers to grasp and imagine the world of the story. Similarly, the unadorned language reflects the story's interest in exploring the reality of everyday life in London at the time. In fact, because this uncomplicated style helps make the characters' lives seem realistic and relatable, the style itself closely aligns with the story's tone, since "The Fly" is written in a manner that resembles the characters' conversational speech patterns. This is also because a fair amount of the story plays out in dialogue, as the prose alternates between the boss and Woodifield's conversation and brief descriptions of the surrounding environment. The very first sentence is a good example of this mixture of dialogue and description:
"Y'are very snug in here," piped old Mr. Woodifield, and he peered out of the great, green-leather armchair by his friend the boss's desk [...].
This opening sentence is typical of Realist literature in the way that it drops readers into a scene but then quickly grounds them with several tangible details. Mr. Woodifield's conversational language comes through right away, and then the brief but evocative description of the "great, green-leather armchair" makes it easy to vividly envision the scene. What's more, the story also wastes no time making it clear that this conversation takes place in an office and that Mr. Woodifield is sitting across from his old friend, the boss. The fact that all of this information emerges in the very first sentence has a lot to do with the story's plain, utilitarian style, which doesn't call attention to itself and instead focuses on effortlessly drawing readers into a small, well-imagined scene.
