Analysis of Dana Miltins' short story 'You are here'

To love someone is not always great. The man and the woman are stuck in a relationship that doesn’t satisfy either of them. However, they are unable to put an end to it. This is the kind of relationship that is presented in the short story “You are here”. The short story is written by Dana Miltins in 2018.

The snake catcher captures the snake, and the woman witnesses him with the animal This is relevant, because it illustrates the shift in the woman´s attitude towards the snake and, thereby, her hopes of becoming pregnant in the near future. The story contains descriptive adjectives, which helps us create a vivid image of the scene. There are positive words, which suggest that the woman´s perspective of the snake is changing. As she looks at it closely, she is impressed by it. She notices details such as: “The tiger stripes and the size of its head” (II. 83-84).

The short story contains metaphors, when the woman imagines she is “a speck. A fleck of sand in an endless desert. So close to nothing” (II. 41-42). She is aware of her own smallness and insignificance in the vastness of the universe. This could suggest that she feels lonely in her relationship. Another metaphor is found after the snake is caught; the woman sees it as a “beautiful length of striped brown muscle” (II. 79). This insinuates that the snake catcher has changed her view of the snake. She is no longer threatened by it. Furthermore, the text contains similes. At first, the woman thinks her encounter with the snake is a test, and she has failed (II 58-59). The simile suggests that, before meeting the snake catcher, she thought the snake was dangerous. The snake moves through the snake catcher’s hands and arms “enjoying his touch as if they´re casual lovers” (II 84-85). This simile points to the gentleness of the interaction between the snake catcher and the animal. Furthermore, it points to the woman, who feels attracted to the snake catcher because of his confidence. With his attention and gentleness, the snake catcher is everything her partner is not. Seen from the woman´s perspective, the snake catcher’s ways of capturing the snake is described like a seduction. He is “fast and gentle” (II. 77-78). The language and imagery used are meant to illustrate that the woman is aware of the snake catcher´s gentle ways with the animal, and she is thereby seduced by him. The fact that she offers him a beer (II. 88) suggests that she wants to get to know him better. The lines also include a personification. The snake goes from being referred to as a snake to being referred to by the aboriginal name “Kuniya” (II. 83).