In his short story, Joyce employs specific diction in the dialogue of his characters, particularly dialect words and colloquialisms. This diction is used to strengthen the characterization and to emphasize the story’s setting and meaning: As with much of Joyce’s work, the presentation of authentic Dublin Anglo-Irish speech patterns is tied in to social, national, and political themes. The Nationalist characters also use Irish language exclamations, such as “usha,” “musha,” “moya,” and “wisha,” as well as an Irish Nationalist insult for a pro-Anglo Irishman, “shoneen.” One of the primary social programs within Irish republicanism in the early 1900s was the resurrection of the Irish (Gaelic) language. British rule in Ireland had officially discouraged the use of Gaelic, and the act of speaking (or writing) in Irish was a politicized act as well as a reflection of cultural identity.

The story’s high concentration of authentic dialogue also heightens the liveliness of the vignette, dropping the reader into the midst of the group’s conversation. The distinctions in diction between the characters helps the story to efficiently communicate the social standing of the men and their political allegiances.