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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
Smith's writing style adheres to that of traditional narrative fiction: frequent but not excessive figurative language; elaborate character descriptions; a balanced amount of dialogue and narration. Smith tends to use metaphors and similes that Francie herself might use, melding her central character's perspective with that of the narrator (though these two narrative forces are distinct).
Smith also tends to use large amounts of verbal irony in her writing, drawing continued attention to life's contradictions, material and immaterial. Thematic contradictions and dichotomies—poverty and wealth, nature and nurture, education and ignorance, democracy and oppression—carry over into the novel's style. Smith will often understate a scenario to call attention to its importance or make some broad social commentary. The result is an intimate, nuanced portrait of Brooklyn life amongst tenement-dwellers, taking into account both the virtues and vices that emerge amongst an impoverished population. The daily paradoxes of the poor transfer over into Smith's acerbic, quick-witted writing style, eager to unearth the nuances of human nature.
Smith's writing style pairs well with the narrative's temporal structure. While scenes do progress in a fairly linear order, the narrator will often zoom out from a scene to consider the story in its entirety, commenting on past or future events like they have already happened. This choice accords more with portrait-style storytelling, which attempts to create a broader impression of a community, family, or group as opposed to analyzing the psychology of a single character.
Related Themes:
