This essay uses "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" to compare characters through their language (register).

Often times a character in literature is characterized by his or her actions, since many people believe that actions speak louder than words. However, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water provides a different way of characterization, since characters can be compared and contrasted through their register; the way that they describe their surrounds and feelings. For example, the three main characters of the book, Rayona, Christine, and Ida are all very keen to detail, which …

…do it differently than others. Because of this, there were many links throughout the story, and it brings the reader to see things that even actions can not show. But if the reader digs deeper, it also becomes apparent that the characters' register also reveals misinterpretations that are critical to the story. Therefore, the three main characters of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water are powerfully distinguished by the resemblances and differentiations in their language.