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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
Chapter Two
Explanation and Analysis—Center Stage:
In Chapter 2, Linnet's arrival at the Cataract Hotel is described with similes:
Linnet Doyle was looking as perfectly turned out as if she were stepping on to the centre of the stage of a revue. She had something too of the assurance of a famous actress. She was used to being looked at, to being admired, to being the centre of the stage wherever she went. [...] She came ashore playing a role, even though she played it unconsciously. The rich beautiful society bride on her honeymoon.
Linnet's remarkable arrival is described with a stage metaphor. Linnet is not, in fact, an actress, but she has the beauty and fame of one. The reader learns a lot about her personality just by the description of her appearance: she seems to have grown accustomed to attention and is at ease with stares. The reader also gets a sense of the unique position of a socialite. Linnet isn't acting in this scene, strictly speaking, but her life and beauty are consumed as a sort of entertainment, a circumstance she has taken in stride. At the end of the novel, in Chapter 31, even her death is sensationalized into entertainment and gossip:
Lastly the body of Linnet Doyle was brought ashore, and all over the world wires began to hum, telling the public that Linnet Doyle, who had been Linnet Ridgeway, the famous, the beautiful, the wealthy Linnet Doyle was dead.
Notice the personification of the telegraph wires here: Linnet doesn't care if people talk about her deathl. Instead, the inanimate and uncaring telegraph wires are personified into gossips as they broadcast out news of her death to "the public."
Related Themes:
Chapter Thirty-One
Explanation and Analysis—Center Stage:
In Chapter 2, Linnet's arrival at the Cataract Hotel is described with similes:
Linnet Doyle was looking as perfectly turned out as if she were stepping on to the centre of the stage of a revue. She had something too of the assurance of a famous actress. She was used to being looked at, to being admired, to being the centre of the stage wherever she went. [...] She came ashore playing a role, even though she played it unconsciously. The rich beautiful society bride on her honeymoon.
Linnet's remarkable arrival is described with a stage metaphor. Linnet is not, in fact, an actress, but she has the beauty and fame of one. The reader learns a lot about her personality just by the description of her appearance: she seems to have grown accustomed to attention and is at ease with stares. The reader also gets a sense of the unique position of a socialite. Linnet isn't acting in this scene, strictly speaking, but her life and beauty are consumed as a sort of entertainment, a circumstance she has taken in stride. At the end of the novel, in Chapter 31, even her death is sensationalized into entertainment and gossip:
Lastly the body of Linnet Doyle was brought ashore, and all over the world wires began to hum, telling the public that Linnet Doyle, who had been Linnet Ridgeway, the famous, the beautiful, the wealthy Linnet Doyle was dead.
Notice the personification of the telegraph wires here: Linnet doesn't care if people talk about her deathl. Instead, the inanimate and uncaring telegraph wires are personified into gossips as they broadcast out news of her death to "the public."
Related Themes:
