Literary Analysis: The Paring Knife

Intellectual Michael Oppenheimer crafts a mind-bending, yet very simple work of prose in his story The Paring Knife.  By utilizing repetitive, straightforward diction, profound symbolism, and a one-sided point-of-view, Oppenheimer creates a work of fiction that speaks to readers on a deeper level. Oppenheimer combining all of these elements helps readers analyze and explore the complex relationship of two people during a strenuous time in their marriage.

Throughout the story, the author repetitively uses words in a way to emphasize the message he is trying to get across. One of the phrases he uses excessively is “the woman I love.” By doing this, he conveys that the love the narrator has for this woman is strained and probably a bit forced. It is almost as if the narrator has to remind himself how much he loves the woman. In the second paragraph, the writer uses “we” at the beginning of each very short sentence for the first half of the paragraph. By doing this, the author sets a tone that is extremely tense and suspenseful, yet calm. In the second half of the paragraph, he uses “I” at the beginning and throughout each sentence. This is so the author can create the rising action in the story yet maintain the sentence structure and tone.