A portrait in the shop window

Text: an original contemporary review-style practice extract.

The portrait photographer’s window displayed people who seemed to have reached a peaceful agreement with their own faces. Nobody’s smile looked borrowed. I went inside because the window suggested that the camera could settle an argument I had been having with mirrors for years.

During the sitting, the photographer moved a chair and asked about my journey. I gave a practised answer and a practised smile. She took no picture. When I described the train announcement that had sent me to the wrong platform, I laughed before arranging my mouth. The shutter sounded then. Afterwards, she showed me two images: one in which I had carefully presented myself, and one in which I was still describing something else.

I chose the second, though it revealed a crooked tooth the first image had concealed. The photographer had not discovered the real me, as advertisements sometimes promise. She had caught one recognisable moment. That smaller achievement seemed more trustworthy. On my way out, I looked again at the window and wondered which conversations were still travelling through those settled faces.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader.

In your answer, consider:

• language features and techniques
• structural techniques
• the effect on the reader.

Support your views with detailed reference to the extract.