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Imagery
Explanation and Analysis—At Spunk’s Funeral:
When the men at the general store arrive at Spunk’s funeral, Hurston uses imagery to capture the scene, as seen in the following passage:
They had arrived at the house. Lena’s lamentations were deep and loud. She had filled the room with magnolia blossoms that gave off a heavy sweet odor. The keepers of the wake tipped about whispering in frightened tones.
The imagery here engages different senses—readers can hear Lena’s “deep and loud” cries and the whispered “frightened tones” of the attendees while also smelling the “heavy sweet odor” of the magnolia blossoms. All of these descriptions bring readers closer into the scene, making for a richer reading experience.
The tension between Lena’s loud “lamentations” and the pleasing odor of her magnolia flowers is particularly notable here. While it’s hard to know exactly what Hurston is communicating with this juxtaposition, it’s possible that she is suggesting that Lena is (over-)performing her role of aggrieved widow while secretly feeling pleased that the controlling Spunk is gone from her life. This comes through via her decision to fill the house with “feminine” flowery energy, reclaiming the space for herself in her home (as well as in her life as a whole).
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