Love in the Time of Cholera

by Gabriel García Márquez

Love in the Time of Cholera: Personification 2 key examples

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 3
Explanation and Analysis—Angel of Death:

In this memory from Chapter 3, García Márquez employs personification to dramatize the haunting presence of mortality. When Dr. Urbino recalls a childhood moment with his father, death is no abstract concept but a figure that quietly intrudes into the ordinary space of a home:

The angel of death hovered for a moment in the cool shadows of the office and flew out again through the window, leaving a trail of feathers fluttering in his wake, but the boy did not see them.

Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Nostalgia’s Paw:

In Chapter 4, García Márquez uses personification to transform nostalgia into a crouching predator that ambushes Fermina and Dr. Urbino, reminding them that the past is never fully dormant:

The nostalgia crouching behind the door would knock them down and with one blow of its paw, and then there would be a marvelous explosion in which everything was the way it used to be and for five minutes they were once again the uninhabited lovers of their honeymoon.

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