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Pathos
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
Book 1, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Seemed to Snarl:
Rufus feels tense as an Italian adolescent watches him with disdain when he sits in a park with Leona. Baldwin uses visual imagery and personification to show how hostilely the boy reacts to seeing a mixed-race couple spending time together:
Then he raised his eyes and met the eyes of an Italian adolescent. The boy was splashed by the sun falling through the trees. The boy looked at him with hatred; his glance flicked over Leona as though she were a whore; he dropped his eyes slowly and swaggered on—having registered his protest, his backside seemed to snarl, having made his point.
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Gray Light:
Vivaldo observes his neighbor Jane’s window from across the street, imagining the dreary atmosphere of her room and what a sexual encounter would be like in there. In the passage, Baldwin uses personification to give the light in Jane’s room a detached, scrutinizing presence of its own:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The light was growing stronger. Soon, alarm clocks would begin to ring and the houses would expel the morning people. Then he thought of the scene which would now be occurring between the boy and the girl in the room. [...] The gray light, coming in through the monk’s-cloth blinds, would, with the malice of the noncommittal, be examining every surface, corner, angle, of the unloved room.
Related Themes:
