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Get every literary device explanation for The AwakeningPlus so much more...
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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—A Faded Garment :
After Robert suddenly leaves for Mexico, the book uses a simile to emphasize Edna's growing unhappiness:
The conditions of her life were in no way changed, but her whole existence was dulled, like a faded garment which seems to be no longer worth wearing.
Edna’s life, of course, doesn’t not literally transform in color or appearance to her—the novel uses this simile to express how Edna feels about Robert’s departure. The description of Edna’s life as “dulled,” almost like a paled, lifeless body, emphasizes her sadness and meaninglessness in Robert's absence. His leaving causes Edna to feel depressed, which is a sign of her love for him. She begins to think of him often, and grows disinterested in life around her. Although she experiences a great sadness, though, she is unable to fully express the extent of her feelings, likely because she has been socially conditioned to minimize her own desires.
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