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Motifs
Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Plus Ça Change:
As Gene stares at the tree from which Finny fell, Knowles uses an idiom and personification to illustrate Gene's reflections on time, change, and memory:
The tree was not only stripped by the cold season, it seemed weary from age, enfeebled, dry. I was thankful, very thankful that I had seen it. So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all—plus c’est la même chose, plus ça change.
Related Themes:
Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Cold Yankee Stars:
In Chapter 7 Knowles employs metaphor and personification to convey the subdued atmosphere at the Devon School during winter, which shapes Gene's mood and thoughts as he gazes into the night. The snow and stars assume symbolic importance as Gene thinks about the pressures his world places upon him:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Devon, muffled under the gentle occupation of the snow, was dominated by them; the cold Yankee stars ruled this night. They did not invoke in me thoughts of God, or sailing before the mast, or some great love as crowded night skies at home had done; I thought instead, in the light of those cold points, of the decision facing me.
Related Themes:
