The imagery of the pub in Cambridge
The author depicts a Cambridge pub with rounded walls, a single bed attached against a wall, and a modest room for rent. The author begins by describing a bar in Cambridge with "rounded walls," which quickly conjures up an image of the establishment in the reader's mind. This is reinforced by the sentence "That's why I went in that pub and not another because the walls were rounded." This quotation aids in drawing the reader into the scenario by implying that the narrator was lured in by the distinctiveness of the walls as well as the safety of the location. The author then goes on to provide more details about the single room for rent. He mentions that it was “very plain” and “not very big” with “a single bed to the left against the wall.” This imagery helps to further bring the setting to life as the reader is able to imagine the room in detail. The author also mentions that the bed was “moored up against a wall” and there were “not a lot of things crammed in underneath it” which helps to evoke a sense of order and tidiness in the room.
The imagery of the fire
This novel contains a dazzling picture of a fire burning books in a square and its force is enhanced by the narrator's personal recollection of it. As the narrator describes the fire as "very frightening," "big and black and burning," and "dark and impenetrable," the visual is both menacing and dark. The fire's shadows are highlighted further, being characterized as "more powerful, more consumptive than the flames" and "raging and growing taller." The description of the individuals around and engaging in the fire heightens the visual, with "hapless faces gasping and grimacing," "grotesque faces blistered from the heat," and "melting[ing]". The narrator also details their “deranged” features, “gurning and leering” mouths, and “bloodshot” eyes. The narrator further describes them as “toss[ing] live pigs and tortoises and jackdaws onto the fire”, and “swing[ing] screeching mice by their tails in and out of the blaze”. This imagery of the fire serves to highlight the horrors of book burning and the danger it poses to the people and ideas contained in these books.
The imagery of the classroom behavior
The pupils are depicted as "avant-garde performers," employing repetition and slight modifications to achieve subversive results. This is emphasized further by the depiction of their shenanigans in the science lab, where they experiment with a variety of substances without understanding the exact outcome of their actions. The visual of the students' "bones" is used to suggest a lengthy history of oppression, which the students are aware of and are striving to resist through their activities. The teacher's "method" of yelling and slamming is contrasted with harsher punishments in the past, emphasizing the teacher's weakness in the face of the students' defiance. The imagery of failure is also present, with the pupils' applause of a "damp squib" and the "fanciful notions and far-fetched goals" that they are told to aspire to both emphasizing their inevitable lack of success. The imagery of the pupils' future being "mapped out for them on the smallest scrap of paper" is used to further suggest the inevitability of failure.
The imagery of characters and various settings
The author employs a variety of descriptive language to construct a picture of the story's many places and people. For example, the author describes Tarquin Superbus' flat as "the color of aubergines," with "long heavy drapes" and a "wooden floor." This imagery provides the reader with a clear picture of the setting in which the characters live. Furthermore, the author uses imagery to characterize the characters. Tarquin Superbus is characterized as "overjoyed with a new filigreed trinket," and the Doctor is described as "sitting in a relaxed sort of way." This imagery contributes to the development of the characters' personalities as well as the mood that they are generating. The imagery also serves to evoke a sense of nostalgia as the narrator reflects on their past experiences.
