Once I’ve analysed the quote, I unpack the language features and relate them back to the overall idea of my essay. But I don’t really know how they work together to have an effect?
Hi Charlotte - this is a good question to be thinking about.
A part of this is about the language that you use. It is good to start, at level one using language of development. So for example, you might say (technique) creates the idea of xyz. This is then later REINFORCED/ DEVELOPED/ CONTRASTED to highlight that…something else about the idea. Sometimes we get into the habit of analyzing things quite individually instead of thinking about how an author can build upon one feature (or contrast it) with another one.
Additionally, you can consider if one language feature is further emphasized by another one - eg a simile you discuss might highlight a specific idea - and then this same idea, or effect, or tone, might be emphasized three lines later through the use of repetition (just as an example).
The last potential hack for this that I can offer is, where you can, talk about mood or tone (which are really features of their own). If you can say that that the “(Simile) shows us the idea of xyz, and furthermore is used by the author to create a tone of…” - you are by default, talking about how multiple elements are working together.
Hope this helps - come back if anything needs clarifying or if you have a more specific example you need help with 
1 Like
Hi, Thanks for your reply, really helps.
Do you mind giving a more specific example?
Thank you
Hi Charlotte
Here is an example
The author then develops this idea of voyeurism further when he uses the simile “The paparazzi descended like hyenas on a festering corpse.” By comparing the paparazzi to hyenas, we get the idea that they are scavengers who are feeding off the misfortune of others,as of course is literally the case with paparazzi, who often get money from taking photos of people when they are at their worst. Not only this, but the unpleasant connotations of the words"descended" and “festering” in this context suggest that the paparazzi are gleefully reveling in the misfortune of the celebrity, and creates an disturbing, almost violent tone in this part of the story (if you wanted to continue here you could say something like “which contrasts with” the symbolism used later or something similar)
In this example you can see there are three techniques - simile, negative connotations and tone working together from one line.
1 Like