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Personification
Explanation and Analysis—Cold Yankee Stars:
In Chapter 7 Knowles employs metaphor and personification to convey the subdued atmosphere at the Devon School during winter, which shapes Gene's mood and thoughts as he gazes into the night. The snow and stars assume symbolic importance as Gene thinks about the pressures his world places upon him:
Devon, muffled under the gentle occupation of the snow, was dominated by them; the cold Yankee stars ruled this night. They did not invoke in me thoughts of God, or sailing before the mast, or some great love as crowded night skies at home had done; I thought instead, in the light of those cold points, of the decision facing me.
The metaphor of Devon being "muffled under the gentle occupation of the snow" makes the snow seem like a military force. In World War II hostile occupying forces took over large swaths of the world, and Gene sees the snow as akin to an army asserting dominance over his world at Devon. The author’s use of "occupation" here implies that the snow, although soft, commands the environment. It muffles the usual clamor of the activities of school life, making the narrator feel chilled and exposed to the gaze of the stars.
The personification of the "cold Yankee stars" here—which are strong enough to “dominate” even the snow—emphasizes how alone and vulnerable Gene feels. The stars are "cold" and watchful, as though they have agency and can exercise judgement over Gene. Because he’s at school in New England, the stars also have a “Yankee” quality to their personification. Their influence feels like the influence of Gene’s “Yankee” social world, which restricts him from expressing his feelings and chooses a narrow range of possibilities for his future. The stars’ freezing light also illuminates the practical, stern realities that await Gene after he graduates. These aren’t the romantic, dreamy night skies of his home, and they don’t make him feel closer to God or to any higher purpose. Instead, they make him feel vulnerable and alone as he faces the inevitable future.
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