Vocabulary In Frederick Backman's Anxious People

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The complexities of human emotions and connections have been questioned throughout time. These intricacies are especially central to Frederick Backman's novel, Anxious People, where readers are introduced to a unique situation: a bank robbery has gone wrong and turned into a hostage situation. Within a small town, a failed bank robber decided to take a group of people hostage during an apartment viewing. Police eventually become involved with the situation, and it is through their interrogations with the hostages and negotiations with the robber that the real focus of the story is revealed: the people inside the apartment and their shared experiences, fears, and anxieties, highlighting the universal struggles people face in their daily lives. …show more content…

He accomplishes this by writing in the third person, omniscient, and using variations of everyday language and complex vocabulary. For example, the author uses phrases such as "Don't make a scene now" to carry relatable sentiments with a conversational tone. The author also states, "Once the frog said she'd heard an adult on the bus say "love hurts," and the monkey replied that maybe that's why hearts end up jagged when you try to draw them." Here, his use of the statement "love hurts" captures the narrator's vulnerability and self-awareness while incorporating a sense of humor through the character names of "Frog" and "Monkey." This blend reflects the reality of life and allows the reader to connect to the story more easily. Backman's irony is also a prominent feature in his writing style, effectively adding complexity and depth to the story. For example, the story's premise is a woman robbing a cashless bank and then taking an apartment viewing hostage. This situation is ironic because it contrasts the reader's expectations of a typical bank robbery scenario and sets the stage for the ironic twists and turns that are to

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