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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: Book 2, Chapter 8: Scandal
Explanation and Analysis—The Silly Devil:
The narrator uses personification when Fyodor accuses the monks at the local monastery of sacrilege following his embarrassing meeting with Zosima the elder:
The accusations were absurd and eventually died down of themselves, both here and everywhere. But the silly devil who had snatched up Fyodor Pavlovich and carried him on his own nerves further and further into the shameful deep prompted him to this former accusation, which Fyodor Pavlovich could not even begin to understand. Nor did he manage to formulate it correctly, the more so since this time no one had knelt down in the elder’s cell and confessed aloud, so that Fyodor Pavlovich could have seen nothing of the sort and was simply repeating old rumors and gossip [...]
After deciding to attend the dinner despite behaving in a humiliating manner earlier, Fyodor takes advantage of the occasion to hurl abuse at the monks and Father Mikhail, the superior of the monastery. Here, he is motivated by his own feelings of shame, which typically drive him towards even more shameful conduct. In the past, the monks faced some criticism from those outside the monastery for their veneration of the elder, to whom the monks made regular confession.
Here, Fyodor repeats old gossip in an attempt to insult the monks. The narrator personifies Fyodor’s tempestuous mood, characterizing his “nerves” as a “silly devil” who “snatched up Fyodor Pavlovich” and ultimately dragged him “further and further into the shameful deep.” Just as a demon might drag a person down to hell, here Fyodor’s inner turmoil compels him to behave in an increasingly shameful manner.
Part 2: Book 5, Chapter 3: The Brothers Get Acquainted
Explanation and Analysis—Stupidity and Reason:
After explaining to Alexei his belief that humanity will, in the end, experience a heaven-like state of universal reconciliation, Ivan personifies the concepts of “Stupidity” and “Reason."
“And why did you start out ‘as stupidly as possible’?” Alyosha asked, looking at him thoughtfully.
“Well, first, for the sake of Russianism, let’s say: Russian conversations on these subjects are all conducted as stupidly as possible. And second, then, the stupider, the more to the point. The stupider, the clearer. Stupidity is brief and guileless, while reason hedges and hides. Reason is a scoundrel, stupidity is direct and honest. I brought the case around to my despair, and the more stupidly I’ve presented it, the more it’s to my advantage.”
Earlier, Ivan claimed that he began their conversation “as stupidly as possible” before delivering his ultimate conclusions. When Alexei asks him why, he answers that stupidity is “more to the point” than reason. Stupidity, he claims, is “brief and guileless” where “reason hedges and hides.” Further, he adds, “Reason is a scoundrel” where “stupidity is direct and honest.” Here, he personifies these abstract concepts, imagining Stupidity as a truthful individual with nothing to hide, and Reason, in contrast, as a tricky and deceptive individual who hides their true intentions. Ivan, then, wants to speak with Alexei directly and frankly, eschewing his usual intellectual games and tricks.
