The Huge Scale (Visual Imagery)
After Herschel Schtamm is killed for interacting with the boxcar that is loaded with people, Jacob visualizes his predicament by imagining a scale. On one side of the scale is Herschel, and on the other side is "all the hope you have been spreading among the people." Is Herschel's death "heavier" than this hope? Jacob does not know. This imagery allows the reader to understand what Jacob is going through. He knows that his lies have now killed a man, but he also believes his lies have positive value for the ghetto's residents. As the novel progresses, the reader can add more weight on to both sides of this scale.
The Soldier and the Outhouse (Visual Imagery)
After Jacob sneaks into the outhouse, he peeks out to see a soldier walking directly towards him. The imagery of the soldier walking purposefully toward the outhouse while fumbling with his belt buckle and picturing himself sitting down creates a sense of urgency and inevitability. The protagonist has no way to escape and must think quickly to avoid detection. This feeling is amplified by the description of Jacob's route back being "strewn with mines," which intensifies the perception of danger. Moreover, Jacob's knees reminding him that he is "no longer young" illustrates the challenge of remaining undetected. Finally, the fact that Jacob has to cram papers “as flat as he can so they won’t rustle while he is working” further highlights how desperate he is not to be caught with the prohibited newspaper.
The Single Gunshot (Auditory Imagery)
Herschel's murder is described in great detail with vivid imagery. The narrator states, "The window is open, and on the sill lies a rifle being aimed, very calmly and deliberately." The descriptions are slowed so that the reader can experience every detail of the shooting, until the shot itself comes "like a naughty child stamping its foot in a tantrum, or a toy balloon being blown up too hard and bursting, or even, since I am already indulging in images, as if God had coughed, a cough of dismissal for Herschel." The effect of this imagery is to make the murder all the more horrifying to the reader. We experience it alongside Jacob and are able to almost empathize with his experience through the force of the narrator's description.
Jacob's Brass Band (Auditory Imagery)
Jacob imitates a brass band when he is pretending to show his radio to Lina. The description of his performance is provided in such vivid detail that the reader is able to imagine this scene perfectly. His performance begins with "The flicking, then the buzzing and whistling." Next, "the music starts in a rush, with drum and cymbals taking the first bar." When Lina peeks past the partition, she sees Jacob in a state of intense focus, "sitting sideways, he is also keeping his eyes firmly closed." The level of detail in this scene puts the reader in Lina's shoes. That we are able to experience her sense of wonder at the incredible music makes it all the more incredible that Jacob is producing all of it himself.
