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Idioms
Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—The Gleaming Blades:
In Chapter 8, Scythe Faraday heads out to glean by himself and sets Citra to polish his weapon. As she shines each blade, she ponders what each weapon has done. She looks at herself in the reflection of the polished steel, forming potent visual imagery for her development as an apprentice:
She pulled a scimitar from the wall. A heavy beast that could decapitate you with a single swing. Had Scythe Faraday used it for a beheading? It was, in a way, his style: swift, painless, efficient. As she moved it clumsily through the air, she wondered if she had the strength to behead someone. My god, what am I becoming? She put the weapon on the table, grabbed the rag, and rubbed polish on it, and when she finished she went to the next, and the next, trying not to see her reflection in each of the gleaming blades.
Citra unskillfully attempts to use Faraday's scimitar, wondering if she can be a scythe. She still doubts the morality of scythehood: "My god, what am I becoming?" She keeps polishing, "trying not to see her reflection in each of the gleaming blades." Citra literally sees herself in Faraday's weapons. This visual imagery shows how Citra begins to think about what being a scythe would be like, even against her better judgement.
Note that Citra can see herself better in the blades once she has polished them. This works as visual imagery, too. The onerous tasks that Faraday sets for Citra and Rowan prepare them to be conscientious, effective scythes. The value in this effort is represented by the fact that Citra can see herself better in a well-polished blade.
Related Themes:
