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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Shores of Eden:
In Chapter 4, as he wakes up on the beach next to a sleeping Finny, Gene uses visual imagery and allusion to describe the experience of seeing the shore at dawn for the first time:
The ocean perked up a little from the reflection of these colored slivers in the sky. Bright high lights shone on the tips of waves, and beneath its gray surface I could see lurking a deep midnight green. 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.
Knowles packs this passage with color and movement to bring the dynamic marine scene to life. This excerpt is focused on capturing the contrast between dark and light elements that Gene sees. The bright reflected sunlight sprinkled around makes the dark water seem even darker. The reflection of "colored slivers" in the sky contrasts with the green depths around him. The beach also transforms from "a spectral gray-white to pure white,” as though the sand itself is suffused with light.
The allusion to the "shores of Eden" enhances the description of the beach as being white and unstained. Here, the author is likening the shore to the biblical Garden of Eden. In the Bible, the Garden of Eden was an unspoiled and pristine paradise. The beach's transformation from its usual “deadness” to being being "totally white and stainless" parallels the mythical purity and untouched nature of Eden. In this moment, Gene feels hopeful, like the world around him might have reverted to a state of innocence.
Related Themes:
