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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
Key Examples in The Birthmark
Personification
Explanation and Analysis—The Birthmark:
The birthmark is another example of personification. Not only is it shaped like a human hand, it is also described as threatening Georgiana's life. In the first part of the story, Aylmer dreams about the birthmark's deadliness:
Its tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of Georgiana’s heart.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Nature and Mortality:
Throughout the story, Nature is personified as the enemy of human perfection. In this passage, the narrator describes Nature as a creative force that generates inevitably-flawed creatures:
Unlock with LitCharts A+It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain. The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould, degrading them into kindred with the lowest, and even with the very brutes, like whom their visible frames return to dust.
Related Themes:
