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Literary Devices
Definition of Alliteration
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Slowly, Silently, Smiling:
When Ponyboy walks home from the movie theater alone, he is jumped by a group of Socs. The novel uses an alliteration to describe their behavior:
They walked around slowly, silently, smiling.
“Hey, grease,” one said in an over-friendly voice. “We’re gonna do you a favor, greaser. We’re gonna cut all that long greasy hair off.”
The alliteration of the /s/ sound in "slowly, silently, smiling" emits a hissing sound, much like that of a snake. Like a den of snakes closing in on their prey, the Socs corner Ponyboy and pin him down. Their aura of mischief is increased by their “over-friendly” voices: the Socs are being exaggeratedly (and sarcastically) nice in order to manipulate and scare the greaser boys. Despite their feigned friendliness, Ponyboy is terrified, as he knows the cruelty that Socs are capable of.
As a result, this alliteration does not simply point out the social stratification within Tulsa, but more so the fear that it breeds. In this moment, Ponyboy thinks to himself, "It occurred to me then that they could kill me." Fear is bred into the greasers from a young age—not even "smiling" or an "over-friendly" tone can convince a greaser to feel otherwise. In the Ponyboy's world, greasers must always assume that the Socs have an intention to kill.
Related Themes:
