Told through flashbacks and in first person, the extended metaphor of Aquifer by Tim Winton is the presence of Alan Mannering and the dead "in the water", which is explored in the passage.
In the passage, the phrase
"I thought" and variations thereof (
"I considered", "I imagined" etc) are frequently repeated. This relates to the way in which the story is told, i.e. from the perspective of the narrator. It also explores the shifts in their beliefs and characterisation in the story.
The sentence length varies in the passage. Winton uses mainly long sentences and limits his use of shorter ones, such as
"like blood and bone", which serves to connect the motif of water to that of the blood and bone on the gardens. The sentence
"Evaporated, precipitated, percolated." is triadic.
The phrase
"I chewed on these things in classroom daydreams..." is a metaphor.
Winton uses phrases relating to the title, such as artesian, and various other examples in the final paragraph of the passage.
Key words and quotes include:
- Water: A recurring motif in the story that ties into the narrator's perception of death.
- "Someone hung a snake from our jacaranda out front": This quote reveals the underlying sense of malice below the Stepford exterior of the suburb - the older the narrator gets, the more they notice the neighbourhood falling apart.
I hope this helps!