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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
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Beauty is Terror:
After Richard's first class with Julian, which covers the idea of beauty as terror, Richard pours his thoughts into his journal with personification:
That night I wrote in my journal: "Trees are schizophrenic now and beginning to lose control, enraged with the shock of their fiery new colors. Someone—was it van Gogh?—said that orange is the color of insanity. Beauty is terror. We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us."
In his journal entry, Richard personifies the trees with a psychological disorder, implying a loss of control. Imbuing the trees with human emotions such as shock is also a form of personification. Richard's emotional description of the trees forebodingly mirrors his own situation following Bunny's murder. Richard becomes psychologically unbalanced, relying on drugs and alcohol to cope with his guilt. He loses control and becomes shocked by his own behavior, ironically like the Vermont nature he so admires.
In the aftermath of Bunny's death, Richard also becomes frustrated with who he has become. Like his journal entry states, Richard would rather be devoured by the terror of beauty than face the truth of his sanity. As a result, Richard hides himself in the beauty of Hampden, unaware of its effect on his wellbeing and sense of self-control.
Related Themes:
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—This is Kansas:
On the morning of Bunny's death, Richard describes the spring nature with fearful personification and an allusion to the children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
It was a strange, still, oppressive day. The campus seemed deserted—everyone was at the party, I supposed—and the green lawn, the gaudy tulips, were hushed and expectant beneath the overcast sky. Somewhere a shutter creaked. Above my head, in the wicked black claws of an elm, a marooned kite rattled convulsively, then was still. This is Kansas, I thought. This is Kansas before the cyclone hits.
In this passage, Richard personifies the spring plants in order to set up the tension before Bunny’s murder. The tulips are, much like Richard, waiting anxiously for something to happen on the weird-weathered day. The elm trees have “wicked black claws,” as if ready to pounce on someone. The nature is not only personified but also a mirror image of Richard's own fears. Richard even compares the day to the moment before a tornado hits in Kansas, a direct allusion to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its notorious cyclone. Kansas's climate is prone to tornadoes; therefore, many residents can simply feel in the air that something bad is coming. Richard similarly feels that something terrible is about to occur at Hampden College.
Related Themes:
