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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
Detective
Explanation and Analysis—Astronaut-Like:
In the chapter "Detective," Donald Kimball interrogates Patrick about the murder of Paul Owen. Kimball is not a very skilled interrogator, and eventually he and Patrick strike up a relatively normal conversation. Musing about life and death, Kimball uses personification to describe the Earth "swallowing" people:
“It’s just strange,” he agrees, staring out the window, lost. “One day someone’s walking around, going to work, alive, and then …” Kimball stops, fails to complete the sentence. “Nothing,” I sigh, nodding. “People just … disappear,” he says. “The earth just opens up and swallows people,” I say, somewhat sadly, checking my Rolex. “Eerie.” Kimball yawns, stretching. “Really eerie.”
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At Harry’s
Explanation and Analysis—In Stride:
By the final chapter of the novel, "At Harry's," Patrick's mental state has deteriorated severely, to the point where he has to repeat his favorite drinks, TV shows, and sports to himself to keep a grip on reality. In this barely coherent state, he describes a series of hallucinations that he has recently experienced:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I’m having a sort of hard time paying attention because my automated teller has started speaking to me, sometimes actually leaving weird messages on the screen, in green lettering, like “Cause a Terrible Scene at Sotheby’s” or “Kill the President” or “Feed Me a Stray Cat,” and I was freaked out by the park bench that followed me for six blocks last Monday evening and it too spoke to me. Disintegration—I’m taking it in stride.
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