I feel like it’s repetitive, or an obvious thing to mention when talking about craft, but the descriptions in “Postman” can simply not be overlooked. Brown uses similes throughout the story as a way to accomplish this, but she does so while avoiding cliche. Two of my favorite examples are the line about the girls scattered like a “lambent assembly of fallen leaves” on page 184 and the line about steam traveling up Henry’s arm like a “damp sleeve” on page 196.
Brown also drops hints of characterization through the subtle reference of Henry’s age. An example can be found on page 184 as well as page 191. The narrator chooses phrases such as “when he was younger” or “as a child” to effectively suggest that Henry is older than the girls at the camp, and he definitely sees himself as more mature even if it is only by a couple years. The latter develops Henry’s character as the reader understands how he views himself in comparison to the girls, but he is still young enough to take interest in one of them.
Maggy: Nice post. Glad to see that you’re noting such details. This is exactly what I want you to do as you read.