In Louisa May Alcott's Little Women,
the following quotes provide several distinct techniques (found in Chapter I.1 and I.2)
to capture the reader's attention. First, imagery is used. Imagery is the use of
specific details by the author to create a mental picture in the reader's
mind.
[T]he
four sisters....sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly
without, and the fire crackled cheerfully
within.
Personification is
also used in this same passage. Personification is giving human characteristics to
non-human things. In the following example, the fire cannot be "cheerful." Only people
are cheerful.
...the fire crackled cheerfully
within.
In describing the
character of Jo, the author uses a metaphor. A metaphor is the comparison of two
dissimilar things that share similar characteristics. Here Alcott is comparing the young
girl to a colt.
...Jo was very tall, thin, and...reminded one of
a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very
much in her way.
The author
also uses a simile to create a vivid image in the reader's mind. A simile is when two
dissimilar things are compared, using "like" or "as" in the
comparison.
A
quick, bright smile went round like a streak of
sunshine.
Finally, Alcott
uses an allusion, which is the reference to a famous person, place, quotation, etc. This
is found in Chapter I.2 of the novel; the original quote is from the Bible in Mark
12:31—
The
second is this: "Love your neighbor as
yourself."
It is Meg that
delivers the allusion to this familiar verse:
That's loving our neighbor better than ourselves,
and I like it...
The use of a
variety of techniques provides a more interesting reading experience for the reader. By
creating images and quoting familiar passages, the tale comes alive and the reader is
better able to not only imagine what is being described, but also to identify with the
characters and become engaged in the plot development of the
story.
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