Fire
Some of the chapters actually commence with imagery as a way of introducing readers to the scene. For example, the opening paragraph of Chapter 31. “Fire speaks. It starts out murmuring, puffing, and sputtering: a whisper over the noise of silence. It searches for air and voice. The first yellow flame is a soft low note, hit perfectly.” The paragraph continues for another few sentences, personifying fire as a destructive force. By the time it reaches that point, the murmur has become a scream, but by then it is too late. It is this point of finding its voice, soft and low, that is presented as the most dangerous moment because nobody pays it attention until it is too late and the screaming has begun.
Character
Chapter 6 is another one that begins with imagery. In this case, it is a description of a character. “His skin was a sweet, deep, glowing hickory brown, with hair locked into long ropes that hung over his wide shoulders and down his back.” This description is prefaced by the first-person narrator asserting that this man was the “most different” person he’d ever seen. He remains unidentified by name throughout the entire chapter. This is purposely done because this imagery, which is the opening line of the chapter, establishes the idea that he is mysterious. The description of his skin as sweet and glowing in particular serve to cement his appearance as exotic.
Honey Grapes
Grapes dipped in honey allow for imagery that reveals just how meaningful eating food that tastes good can be to someone not used to it. “The warm, sweet, flowery honey hit my tongue and I understood. It tasted like happiness.” The idea of the grapes tasting like an emotion connects to the description of the honey. Warmth and sweetness and flowers are all associated with comfort and ease. Such simple enjoyment of freedom is what happiness means in this connotation.
Used Books
The daughter of the rich plantation owner is exploring her home’s library. Imagery associated with smells serve to intensify the scene. “The smell of whale-oil polish mixed with the musty scent of old books. On tiptoes she reached for a plain green, cloth-covered book. The well-worn pages were soft, smelled of the kitchen, and felt of things she understood.” Aside from the direct mention of polish and the kitchen, this focus on scent is heightened by the more visual sensory information of the cloth cover and that the pages inside have often been in the hands of a reader. It is almost the same experience as browsing through a used bookstore, which all share a similarly distinctive bouquet.
