The elevated highway (Auditory Imagery)
The narrator describes the chaotic nature of a Harlem highway in the following terms: "A bitter argument of honks and curses and on rainy days the potholes was treacherous lagoons, one grim slosh.” The auditory imagery of "honks and curses" illustrates the road's daily turmoil.
Movie Opening (Visual Imagery)
The narrator describes the opening of a movie downtown in a dramatic fashion: “The white light coming around that corner was so bright it made you think the earth had split open, like some miracle eruption was underway.” This visual imagery suggests the intense spectacle created by the lights at the movie, as well as the somewhat alarming quality of its brightness.
Pepper Gets Hit (Haptic Imagery)
During a fight scene, Pepper is hit by one of the Van Wyck henchmen: “The astronaut elbowed Pepper in the stomach, then slugged him in the jaw. Pepper had been protecting his stomach where he got stabbed, angling his body, and it gave the man his chance.” This haptic imagery gives a visceral impression of how Pepper takes those blows while trying to protect the already present wounds on his body.
Piney Ointment (Olfactory Imagery)
During the robbery, Freddie notices the strange odor of the mask he is wearing: “The mask smelled like piney ointment and pushed his breath back at him, gusting up hot and rotten.” This olfactory imagery provides a strong description of the unpleasant interior of the mask while also highlighting Freddie's heightened sense of perception during the robbery itself.
