The genre of “Tickets please” is a short, fictional story with a primary purpose of entertaining an adult audience. The outline of the story is set in the Midlands in war time (World War 1) and concentrates on the lives of young girls who are short of eligible young men; the men having gone off to “fight the good fight” and defend their country. The women have had to take over the masculine roles at this time and this passage demonstrates how brave and adventurous they became at a time of changing social values. There is a strong bond and comradery as they stand united in their job and in their view of John Thomas as a gallivanting lothario.
Laurence uses powerful, descriptive sentences to create tension by building up what starts out as a tussle and turns into a full-blown fight between John Thomas and the girls. Annie is the instigator of the piece and she encourages and rallies the girls with her “Come on” cries. John Thomas is obviously not expecting what is about to befall him as “he went forward rather vaguely” explains. Lawrence has already introduced him as a “fine cock of the walk” and up until this point the imagery that John Thomas could be likened to is to the dominant male in a herd of animals whose sole purpose has been to provide sexual gratification for the females of the tribe. He has been able to have his pick of the girls and “love them and leave them” when the going has become difficult and they have tried to turn the relationship into something more serious. However, now JT is to get his come-uppance and Lawrence uses a blend of simple and complex sentences neatly running together to create rhythm and help the reader get the feel of the fight. He creates tension and suspense that builds to a crescendo as JT is set upon by the girls and vainly tries to retaliate. He uses alliteration in “he sprang and seized her” to try and display the panic that is setting into the situation and gives JT short sentences whereas the girls are given longer descriptive passages encompassing noun phrases. The rhythm of the verb phrases suggest movement, speed and aggression and again provides animal imagery “their blood was now thoroughly up” suggests an animal that has been tormented until it can take no more and is finally retaliating. “He was their sport now” suggests possession and ownership of the “prey” that JT has become and he has been hunted and captured by the pack of rampaging females. The use of “their own back” indicates revenge on the part of this band of women and suggests that nothing is going to stop them now they have started on their quest.
