Previous
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 This Side of Paradise
Book 1, Chapter 1: Amory, Son of Beatrice
Explanation and Analysis—Maturing Moccasins:
In Book 1, Chapter 1, Fitzgerald introduces the reader to Amory's whirlwind childhood with his mother and, after his mother's health appears to deteriorate, his uneasy adjustment to his adopted home of Minneapolis. To emphasize Amory's growth, Fitzgerald uses personification to transform his shoes into characters themselves:
Amory spent nearly two years in Minneapolis. The first winter he wore moccasins that were born yellow, but after many applications of oil and dirt assumed their mature color, a dirty, greenish brown [...].
Related Themes:
Book 1, Chapter 2: Spires and Gargoyles
Explanation and Analysis—The Dreaming College:
In Book 1, Chapter 2, Amory immerses himself in his new life as a Princeton student. It is immediately clear to the reader that the school has an enormous hold on Amory, and Fitzgerald uses personification and metaphor to show how Amory conceives of the school and his place within it:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The college dreamed on—awake. He felt a nervous excitement that might have been the very throb of its slow heart. It was a stream where he was to throw a stone whose faint ripple would be vanishing almost as it left his hand. As yet he had given nothing, he had taken nothing.
Related Themes:
