I went for the prose, the 'Womanizer' passage. I commented on how the author increased the tension in the scene through recurrence of symbols such as Leo's drumsticks or his stare and the decreasing mentions of Josephine in the scene showing how her positive influence in the narrative disappears. I linked this last part to feminist theory, commenting on how the outcome of her relationship with Austin potentially becomes dependent on the encounter of the two somewhat possessive males (though with juxtaposed characters). I was glad to see, after the exam, that Richard Ford has actually focussed significantly on feminism as he wrote many of his works, but perhaps it was a little far-fetched nonetheless.
I also pointed out the use of contrasting imagery to show the change in tone, a transition from Austin's expectations (e.g. shown through the cheerful and passionate first moments of the encounter, and the vivid imagery to describe Josephine's clothes) to a disappointment as Leo responds with violence (e.g. shown through strong auditory imagery in the last paragraphs, with onomatopoeic 'slashes' and so forth to describe Leo's strikes).
What did you all focus on in the prose commentary?
Hope it went well!