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Paradox
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
Part 1, Chapter 4: Morphine Lollipop
Explanation and Analysis—Cheerful in the Disarray:
Before Theo’s relocation to Las Vegas, Larry organizes the dismantling of Audrey’s apartment, a tormenting sight for 13-year-old, grieving Theo. With the paradoxical personification of a photograph, Theo illustrates the utter wrongness of the scene:
On the wall over my mother’s desk (among numerous vacation snaps and old school pictures) hung a black and white photo from her modelling days taken in Central Park. […] Cheerfully, she looked out into the disarray and confusion of the living room, at my dad throwing out her papers and art supplies and boxing up her books for Goodwill, a scene she probably never dreamed of, or at least I hope she didn’t.
Shocked by the efficiency and completeness with which his father, Larry, takes apart Audrey’s apartment, Theo notes that “my home began to vanish before my eyes with sickening speed.” Without any respect for Audrey or Theo’s fragile mental state, Larry feverishly erases all traces of Theo’s childhood and life in New York. Theo personifies an old photograph of his mother hanging on the wall to sum up his own conflicted feelings. The picture of Audrey “cheerfully” looks out into the living room. Frozen forever with a smile on her face, the photograph of Audrey can only appear cheerful regarding the loss of her life’s work and prized possessions.
All of these changes are occurring too quickly for Theo to accept and understand. Should he feel excited about his move to Las Vegas? Will there be any trace of his old life left after Larry boxes up and sells Audrey’s apartment? Theo is caught between his old life and his new life, unable to leave the former behind but unable to look forward to the latter. The portrait of Audrey, a smile plastered on her face in the midst of the chaos, therefore mirrors the conflict within Theo: stuck in between the past and the present.
Related Themes:
