The author uses lyrical prose to underscore the characters' actions and thoughts, especially Manon. For example, she writes, "I sat late in the cold room tending it, feeding it, until sparks ignited the dry tinder of my resentment, and it was as if I were sitting in a furnace" (Martin 89). The passage is extremely lyrical and symbolic, and it shows the burning anger that is flaming inside Manon, and gives the impression she will not be able to easily put this fire out. The author uses lyrical language like this throughout the novel, often using it in the way Manon speaks and thinks to indicate that she is a strong-willed and passionate woman, who does not deserve to be the property of anyone.

The author uses diction to portray the difference in the characters and their social stations. Manon speaks (and narrates) in perfect English, while Sarah and the...
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