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Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—The Archbishop:
The book's first description of the Archbishop uses visual imagery to help the reader envision the priest's unusual experience and gain an initial understanding of his character:
There was something in Lima that was wrapped up in yards of violet satin from which protruded a great dropsical head and two fat pearly hands; and that was its archbishop. Between the rolls of flesh that surrounded them looked out two black eyes speaking discomfort, kindliness and wit.
The description starts by referring to the Archbishop as an object ("something") rather than a person, a style choice that encourages the reader to view the priest not as an ordinary man but a strange, almost fantastical creature. He is composed of constituent parts: "fat pearly hands," black eyes, and a "dropsical" or swollen head. Likewise, instead of saying explicitly that the Archbishop wears the purple robes typical of a high-ranking priest, the novel describes his attire as "yards of violent satin." This language defamiliarizes the priest's vestments in order to make them more visually striking to the reader. Like the book's previous description of Doña Maria's "harness of jewels," the imagery in this passage presents antiquated modes of dress to a modern reader in a manner that is easy to visualize yet also feels fresh and new.
However, it's important to note that this passage also demonstrates the limits of Wilder's sympathetic humanism. The novel derives humor from the archbishop's fatness and uses his weight as a shorthand for his many vices, such as greed and extravagance. While such flaws have often historically been associated with fat people, the contemporary reader can see that this method of characterization provides little insight into the archbishop's psyche and stigmatizes a certain body type.
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