Question

What sentence structure is repeated (syntax)? What effect does this have on the mood and tone of the story?

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Technically, there is only one sentence in this entire story. It's comprised of many subordinate clauses, usually separated with semicolons. Many of these clauses are phrased as imperatives. Syntactically, this means that these clauses begin with a verb and are thus phrased as orders. For example, the opening line of the story begins, "Wash the clothes on Monday." Later in the story, another clause begins, "don't pick people's flowers," and another begins, "don't squat down to play marbles." The story is written from the perspective of a young girl hearing her mother's voice, which is constant and overbearing. The imperative clauses help to convey the mother's overbearing, instructional tone.
Also throughout the story, there are lots of declarative, instructional clauses, beginning with the phrase "this is how," like "this is how you set a table for dinner" and "this is how to behave in the presence of men." The word "this" is a demonstrative pronoun, indicating that the words, or instructions from the mother, are being accompanied with demonstrations. Thus, the repetition of instructional clauses beginning with "this is how" conveys the mother's instructional tone but also implies that she is trying to lead by example.

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What sentence structure is repeated (syntax)? What effect does this have on the mood and tone of the story?

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