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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
Part 1, Chapter 22
Explanation and Analysis—The Moscow Ball:
Before the ball, Kitty admires herself in a mirror, using haunting similes and personification to describe her overall appearance:
The black velvet ribbon of her locket encircled her neck with particular tenderness. This velvet ribbon was enchanting, and at home, as she looked at her neck in the mirror, she felt it could almost speak. All the rest might be doubted, but the ribbon was enchanting. Kitty also smiled here at the ball as she glanced at it in the mirror. In her bare shoulders and arms she felt a cold, marble-like quality that she especially liked. Her eyes shone, and her red lips could not help smiling from the sense of her own attractiveness.
In a passage so full of similes and personification, Kitty is very aware of her own attractiveness. Kitty knows exactly what parts of her men will find attractive, so she therefore also likes these parts of herself. Instead of feeling beautiful, Kitty has the knowledge that she will appear beautiful to others. This description of her is rather contradictory, though, as her neck wants to speak and her lips long to smile even as she herself feels cold like a marble statue.
This personification of her individual body parts juxtaposed against the marble statue further illustrates the societal struggles for women at the time. At the beginning of the novel, Kitty seems obsessed with beauty, both of herself and of others. Tolstoy's society values women for their appearances, and anything less than perfection is no longer considered attractive. This principle can be seen when Anna worries that Vronsky will no longer find her attractive during her pregnancy. Society dictates that women are worthy when they are marble statues of permanent beauty, something that Kitty longs to be in the beginning.
Related Themes:
