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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
Key Examples in The Jungle
Chapter 7
Explanation and Analysis—Cruel Cold Wind:
In the harsh winters of the American Midwest, the wind is personified as a "cruel" and "biting" entity that tests the endurance of Chicago’s unhappy residents:
There came cruel, cold, and biting winds, and blizzards of snow, all testing relentlessly for failing muscles and impoverished blood. Sooner or later came the day when the unfit one did not report for work; and then, with no time lost in waiting, and no inquiries or regrets, there was a chance for a new hand.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—A Grisly Thing:
In this excerpt from Chapter 7, Sinclair uses personification and metaphor to depict the cold as an antagonistic force. The cold takes on a character of its own and is personified, which Sinclair adds to by employing metaphors of hell, chaos, and torture:
Unlock with LitCharts A+They could feel the cold as it crept in through the cracks, reaching out for them with its icy, death-dealing fingers; and they would crouch and cower, and try to hide from it, all in vain. It would come, and it would come; a grisly thing, a specter born in the black caverns of terror; a power primeval, cosmic, shadowing the tortures of the lost souls flung out to chaos and destruction. It was cruel, iron-hard; and hour after hour they would cringe in its grasp, alone, alone.
Related Themes:
