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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 1
Explanation and Analysis—A Dark Carriage:
The darkness that envelops Lale on the cattle train at the beginning of The Tattooist of Auschwitz gives the reader some of their first visual impressions of the novel. Lale’s worried contemplation of this darkness also functions as foreshadowing, as it hints at the suffering that awaits him once he reaches his destination:
The train stops again. It is pitch-black; clouds block out the moon and stars completely. Does the dark portend their future?
The description of the “pitch-black” carriage where "clouds block out the moon and stars completely" creates a total visual void for the reader. It’s the imagery of no imagery; Lale is surrounded by nothingness. The details of his world are utterly erased. This absence of light brings on feelings of fear for the reader, because danger often lurks unseen in darkness. Lale knows he’s in danger in the carriage and is heading into more of it, but he has no way to protect himself. The darkness also deepens the readers’ sense of how isolated Lale is, as visual barriers cut him off from everything surrounding him. He already doesn’t know where he’s being taken. He now cannot see where he is. He also cannot see what is happening to the other men around him. This inability to see amplifies his anxiety about the unknown future that he knows lies ahead.
Lale’s direct question, "Does the dark portend their future?" then transforms the imagery of darkness into a moment of foreshadowing. Here, Lale links the oppressive, all-encompassing blackness to what lies ahead for him and the other prisoners. He knows whatever is coming won’t be good, but he has no way of anticipating the specifics because he’s been given no information. Worrying that the blinding dark “portends” his future also points to the loss and grief that will later define his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. The darkness of the train carriage does more than give the reader a clear picture of Lale’s uncertain environment. It also signals the bleakness he's imagining in his destination, whatever it may be.
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Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Brown Liquid:
Visual and smell imagery combine to depict Lale's initial food ration at Auschwitz as a foul, unidentifiable hurdle to cross. Lale lines up for his first meal, uncertain what to expect but still horrified with the results:
As he reaches the front of the line he gratefully accepts a small tin cup, its contents slopping over the rough hands that thrust it at him. He steps aside and examines his meal. It is brown, contains nothing solid, and has a smell he cannot identify. It is neither tea nor coffee nor soup. He fears he will bring the foul liquid back up if he drinks it slowly. So he closes his eyes, pinches his nostrils with his fingers, and gulps it down. Others are not so successful.
The author uses visual imagery to establish some of the many unappetizing qualities of the rations Lale’s been served. The contents of the bowl are almost unidentifiable. Lale observes that they are "brown" and the bowl "contains nothing solid." The dull color and the complete lack of any discernible edible pieces provide a strong visual cue for the reader that this isn’t the nourishing dinner he needs. Morris’s description of the bowl’s contents as "formless liquid" is more evidence of the food being unappealing. This visual information allows the reader to see the so-called food through Lale’s eyes. Even though he hasn’t eaten in days, the food is so disgusting-looking that he has to plug his nose and shut his eyes to consume it.
Morris’s use of smell imagery further intensifies Lale’s revulsion (and the reader’s understanding of how foul the ration is). The narrator states that the liquid "has a smell [Lale] cannot identify," one that is "neither tea nor coffee nor soup." Lale’s inability to recognize the odor—especially when common items with very distinct smells are ruled out—suggests that what he’s been served is unnatural and potentially spoiled. This unidentifiable smell makes it seem even less edible than it looks. Lale’s physical reaction to the rations directly results from this offensive sensory input. His fear that he "will bring the foul liquid back up" if he doesn’t get it into his body without tasting it. By closing his eyes, pinching his nostrils, and gulping it down, he’s performing a total sensory rejection of the "meal."
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Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Rough, Dirty Fingers:
As Lale sorts through the food in his bag at Auschwitz, he notices how much the skin on his hands has changed since he was taken from his home. Morris uses visual imagery to illustrate how this small change also signals many larger ones:
As he comes to the last piece, Lale stops and considers the small, fulfilling parcel of food, sitting there next to his rough, dirty fingers. The fingers that used to be smooth and clean and plump, that handled rich food, that he used to hold up to tell hosts, “No, thank you, I couldn’t possibly have any more.” With a shake of his head, he places it, too, into the bag.
The visual imagery of this passage draws a direct comparison between Lale’s hands in the past and in the present, and between the food he holds and his hands themselves. The description of the "small, fulfilling parcel of food" placed alongside his "rough, dirty fingers" creates a clear visual difference in the readers’ mind. Compared to the relatively clean food, Lale’s hands look dirty and rough. The limited size of the food also shows the extent of the hunger and deprivation Lale and his fellow prisoners experience. The reader is forced to recall how drastically his circumstances have changed. His formerly "smooth and clean and plump" fingers present Lale’s previous life as being one of comparative comfort and ease. His hands once handled so much rich food that he sometimes had to politely decline more when he had eaten enough. At Auschwitz people would die without the small extra rations Lale brings them, but in comparison to the plenty he’s known, this package contains no luxuries at all.
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Chapter 19
Explanation and Analysis—A Worse Beating:
This scene occurs when Jakub, under orders from the Auschwitz guards, must torture Lale to get the names of the prisoners who helped him. Morris uses tactile imagery to show the physical toll of Jakub’s beating and make the reader feel the violence alongside Lale:
Lale anticipates the coming kick. He backs away just as Jakub’s foot connects with his ribs, then exaggerates the impact by rolling and heaving and clutching his chest. As he slowly rises, Jakub punches him in the face again. He takes the full force this time, though Jakub had telegraphed his intention to hit him. Blood runs freely from his smashed nose. Jakub pulls Lale roughly to his feet and handcuffs him to the dangling chain.
Even though Jakub has told Lale he’ll make the “torture” as painless as possible, there’s no way for him to satisfy the guards without seriously hurting Lale. The author uses tactile imagery to make Lale’s beating feel more immediate to the reader. The description of when "Jakub’s foot connects with his ribs" allows the reader to imagine the blunt force of the impact. Although Lale "exaggerates the impact," the actions of "rolling and heaving and clutching his chest" paint a picture of a body contorting in response to pain. Even with the knowledge that Jakub tries to lessen the blows, this visual and tactile imagery “shows” the reader what the guards see.
Further tactile details also intensify the scene. When Jakub "punches him in the face," Lale knows he has to "tak[e] the full force" to make the interaction convincing. This description prepares the reader for a more severe impact, which they immediately get. Morris’s use of the phrase "smashed nose" is particularly effective tactile imagery here; the idea that Lale’s nose is not just broken but “smashed” allows the reader to almost feel the jarring force and imagine the painful damage to bone and cartilage. Jakub then "pulls Lale roughly to his feet," continuing to convey a wish to hurt Lale for the guards. Throughout this scene, Lale’s body is being manipulated, and he has very little control of what is happening to him, despite knowing Jakub doesn’t really want to hurt him.
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