Imagery in "Out of the Mouths"

Sheila Finch's "Out of the Mouths" is, on the surface, a short story about the scientific use of a developping relationship between a human and alien child to learn an alien language. Beneath the surface, it is resonant with important themes. Although short, it delivers as good a story and as important a message as any novel. This is because of Finch's use of imagery. Through this poetic device, she makes apparent to attentive readers …

…in order to get to more plot; the imagery complements and supports the plot and enriches the themes of the story. Every word was put there for some reason. Through a deeper reading, one can appreciate the elegance and hidden importance of those symbolic passages and understand how Finch's work transcends its format as a short story. Works Cited Finch, Sheila. "Out of the Mouths." Year's Best SF 2. David G. Hartwell, ed. New York: EOS, 1997.