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Pathos
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 1
Explanation and Analysis—Sly Letter:
In this passage, the author uses personification and foreshadowing to convey Irene's unease about receiving a letter from Clare. On the novel's first page, Irene sees a letter on her table that she knows is from Clare and broods over the consequences of opening it:
And there was, too, something mysterious and slightly furtive about it. A thin sly thing which bore no return address to betray the sender. Not that she hadn’t immediately known who its sender was.
The personification of this small, unassuming letter as a "thin sly thing" imbues it with the human traits of deception and unpleasantness. By attributing “slyness” to the letter, Larsen displays how intensely threatened Irene feels by Clare’s renewed presence in her life. She has such strong feelings of anxiety and discomfort around Clare that even an unopened letter from her seems evil and threatening. The letter seems to possess its own malicious intentions before Irene even touches it, reflecting Irene's internal confusion about her relationship with Clare. This use of personification transforms the inanimate letter into a living thing, an embodiment of the tension between the two women.
The passage also employs foreshadowing to hint at future troubles in Irene's life. Larsen’s description of the letter as "mysterious and slightly furtive" suggests that the content of Clare's communications will be unsettling and potentially dangerous. Irene's immediate recognition of the sender despite the lack of a return address points to how much Clare perplexes her; she’s always on the lookout for letters that “betray the sender.” This early passage foreshadows the events of the novel, as Clare's presence becomes increasingly disruptive and disastrous for Irene.
Related Themes:
