Angeline's Room
"Artemis ventured inside. An antique four-poster bed threw shadowy spires in the darkness, and a pale sliver of light poked through a gap in the velvet curtains. Angeline Fowl sat hunched on the bed, her pale limbs glowing white in the gloom" (21).
This image shows the extreme conditions that Angeline is living in as a result of her nervous breakdown after Artemis Senior's disappearance. The darkness of the room appears almost menacing, as the pointed shadows create a web of darkness on the floor. The only light in the room offsets the paleness of Angeline's limbs as she sits on the bed. The paleness of Angeline's limbs in this moment is meant to indicate her lack of health at this point in her life—she has been hidden away in darkness for so long that she has become deathly pale. She stands out in the gloom, emphasizing that she is not meant to be there forever and is simply stuck there as a result of her precarious state.
The Meadow
"Holly reined in the throttle and descended to ninety yards. She skipped over a bristling evergreen forest, emerging in a moonlit meadow. A silver thread of river bisected the field and there, nestling in the fold of a meander loop, was the proud oak" (69).
The imagery in this passage helps to convey the magical power of the location Holly has chosen to complete the Ritual. She is completely alone in a remote location; before she realizes that Artemis and Butler are there waiting for her, she is able to fully enjoy the natural beauty surrounding her. The moonlight adds to the atmosphere of magic in this scene, as it lights up the whole meadow, as if it were a beacon, calling upon Holly to descend and complete the Ritual. The river reflects the moonlight, turning it silver. In the center of this scene is the "proud oak," which has been in existence since ancient times.
Holly Meeting Juliet
"Holly cracked open one eye. She closed it again almost immediately. There appeared to be a giant blonde fly staring down at her" (94).
This image, from Holly's first moments as a hostage in the Fowl manor, communicates the strangeness and absurdity of Holly's situation. The reader can imagine what Juliet must look like with large reflective glasses on her face—the image of a giant blonde fly is humorous and effective. Additionally, it is absurd (Why would a fly be human-sized? And if it was, why would it have blonde hair?) which demonstrates the complete nightmare that Holly's life has become. It is inconceivable that a human would know so much about the fairies as Artemis; it is shocking that he would go so far as to kidnap Holly. She has never experienced anything like this; it is a blindside for the fairy race. Additionally, Holly is in a human dwelling without having been invited in (something she is usually not allowed to do) since she is now under Artemis's control. All in all, this is a terrifying and stressful situation for Holly. She has no way of knowing if Artemis will leak his knowledge about fairies to the media and therefore threaten the People's very way of life. Somehow, with everything else going around her, a blonde human-sized fly fits right in.
Mulch's Movements
"He sneaked down the hall. Even his hands were sneaky, padding the air as if he could somehow make himself lighter" (171).
This image gives us a clear indication of what Mulch looks like while he is sneaking through Fowl Manor. It communicates Mulch's desire not to be detected by the humans inside the manor as he makes "sneaky" movements with his hands even though these movements theoretically would not make him any safer. Being stealthy is not exactly one of Mulch's strong suits: he is a dwarf who was built to tunnel beneath the earth in an explosive way. The fact that he is flailing his arms communicates the ridiculousness of his situation. This image also adds a touch of humor to an otherwise tense moment within the novel—as Mulch flails his arms around in an attempt to be as stealthy as possible, he must look quite ridiculous.
