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Pathos
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 11
Explanation and Analysis—Creaky Farm:
Demon uses personification in his description of Creaky Farm and the various pests that occupy it:
The house at Creaky Farm had its own life to live. Loose gutters banging, boards creaking, leaks dripping. At night I would lie in my bunk listening to the kind of shit that gives no comfort. Mice rustling around. Or else the WWE of cockroach wrestling, maybe both. We knew that critter fiestas were had in the kitchen after hours because we found mouse poop all over, like they’d dropped turd trails to find their way back home. Obviously, a kitchen that’s kept like a pigsty is going to attract the wrong crowd. What did we know? We’re juveniles. Every day a fresh surprise [...]
Demon is deeply unhappy at Creaky Farm, as Mr. Crickson exploits the labor of his foster-children and physically abuses them. Further, he has allowed the house in which they live to fall into a dilapidated state. Using personification, Demon characterizes the house as having “its own life to live,” highlighting the various unexpected noises and commotions that keep him from sleeping at night. He also describes the various pests that live in the house in strikingly human terms, imagining the cockroaches as “wrestling” and the other pests as holding “fiestas” or parties at night. When he sees “mouse poop” trailing through the house, he imagines that the mice have left them there “to find their way back home.” Through these various forms of personification, Demon suggests that the building is in no fit state to house numerous foster-children.
Related Themes:
