· “The beach shed its deadness and became a spectral gray-white, then more white than gray, and finally it was totally white and stainless, as pure as the shores of Eden. Phineas still asleep on his dune, made me think of Lazarus, brought back to life by the touch of God” (Knowles 41).
The imagery and allusion in this statement helps to identify the educated and ornate style which Knowles possesses. The colorful description of the sunrise helps to create an ornate style. His creative way of making a picture helps the reader to further appreciate his novel. By alluding to the bible, Knowles creates an educated style because it proves his knowledge in the subject. This allusion adds to the overall image of Phineas by looking at him as a heavenly figure.
· “So the war swept over like a wave at the seashore, gathering power and size as it bore on us , overwhelmingly in its rush, seemingly inescapable…” (101).
The personification of the war as wave adds to the author’s unique style. A wave is an interesting choice to compare a war to since it can be considered as both peaceful and dangerous. The use of this symbolic wave adds to the author’s creative style by offering an image to the dangers of war followed by the peace after a war, thus following the idea of the ebbing of the ocean.
· “It was as though football players were really bent on crushing the life out of each other, as though boxers were in combat to the death, as though even a tennis ball might turn into a bullet.” (77).
The metaphor comparing war to sports adds to the ornate style by introducing various forms of war in everyday life. Since it is well spoken and creative it adds to the flowery style.
· “’Sure. There isn’t any war’” (151).
The statement is both sarcastic and ironic. Throughout the book, Phineas denies the existence of the war. However, this sarcastic statement acknowledges the war’s existence and thus is ironic because it contradicts Finny’s previous opinions. This helps to create a temporary humorous style.
I really enjoyed both the second and the third quotes you described. The second quote, which compares the war to an ocean, was a very impressive comparison. I admire your interpretation of the quote, and I agree that it could definitely symbolize the war being both peaceful and dangerous. I also interpreted the quote to describe the sudden impact the war had on the boys at Devon. The quote demonstrates how the war caught everyone off guard, and similar to the impact of a wave on an unprepared swimmer, the war had a devastating impact on every citizen who was unprepared to deal with its effects.
ReplyDeleteAlong with your second quote, I enjoyed the third as well. I did not notice the connection between sports and war the first time I read this line. It is fascinating how through the description of aggressive sports, Knowles depicts how violent humans can be.
I also noticed Knowles’ ornate descriptions and the rhetorical strategies woven into them to create his distinctive style. I found that many of the passages exemplifying figurative language were also riddled with allusions. While a large majority of these were allusions to war, biblical allusions and others were also present. I didn’t notice Gene’s presentation of Finny as a heavenly figure in the above passage on my own, but I can see that it furthers supports Gene’s feeling of inadequacy and normalcy in comparison to his best friend. Additionally, I appreciate you pointing out that Knowles’ compares a peaceful wave to World War II. While war is perpetually referenced to throughout the novel, this comparison mirrors the juxtaposition of an idealistic peace with destruction or struggle.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed how Knowles compared the wave to a war. As you said, both a wave and the war have destructive power, and then again the peaceful aspect of a wave inspires the readers to question the comparison. This example, along with the others than you mentioned, certainly contribute the the author's unique style and diction. I think the most significant example you provided was the comment about Finny's denial of the war. It is amazingly ironic that by saying "there isn't any war", he really means that there is one, at least when he decides to let his denial go. Very good work.
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