How to Pronounce Knife

Repetition is the repeated use of an image or word. In “How to Pronounce Knife,” Miss Choi frequently pins important notes to Joy, only for them to be discarded by Joy’s mother. This cycle reinforces the two women’s preferred forms of communication (i.e., written and spoken), and with them, the perpetual nature of their miscommunication. Scent is also repeated throughout the short story. Joy’s father always smells of paint thinner because of his job, and Joy’s lunches, made by her mother, elicit teasing from classmates because of their strong smell. These two scents linger, which is reinforced by their repetition.