Character Description
Imagery is especially important in introducing new characters into the storyline. This is doubly so when they are intended to remain somewhat enigmatic at the introductory phase as a set-up for a broader revelation later on. Consider the following an example of imagery as foreshadowing:
“She was young—no older than he was, perhaps—and tall for a woman, with black hair to her shoulders. A nose that just missed being too large and too bold, a generous mouth, high cheekbones, and dark, slightly tilted eyes. He could not quite decide whether she was beautiful or not. As soon as he looked down, she turned to address one of the serving women and did not glance at the stairs again, but he was sure he had been right. She had been staring at him.”
Women and Men
The issues of what separate men from women and vice versa is explored incessantly throughout this fantasy series and this novel is no exception. In fact, an amazing amount of time seems to be spent by the character contemplating and discussing the ways and means of gender divergence and it is often expressed through imagery:
"Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this. Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget. Morgase might kiss my cheek and give me a cup of wine and say how she has missed me. And then she might just let the Guards haul me off to prison and the headsman.”
The Big Bang
No, not that big bang. But a powerfully loud sound designed to antagonize our hero as he makes his way toward his destiny. Things are getting very serious now as the novel pushes its way toward a genuine climax within the overall construction of the serial storyline. It is imagery of heroic intent being pushed to the limits and beyond:
“The roar behind him was louder than anything he had ever heard in his life; a monstrous fist punched him in the back, knocking all the wind out of him even before he landed, sprawled on his belly on the wall top, barely holding on to his staff as it swung over the edge. For a moment he lay there, trying to make his lungs work again, trying not to think how he must have used up all his luck this time by not falling off the wall. His ears rang like all the bells in Tar Valon.”
Setting
As much as character, setting is also of featured significance in the story. It is a long, involved, complex saga filled with questing and questions and the places in which all this takes place runs the gamut from the real to the purely imaginary, such as inside the landscape of dreams. The job of situating the particulars of setting when they are clearly going to play a part often falls to the technique of painting with imagery:
"Rugged mountains surrounded him, and other tall spires separated by arid flats and jumbled ridges, and sometimes a large plateau rising with sheer sides. Things grew, but nothing lush. Tough, short grass. Bushes wiry and covered with thorn, and other things that even seemed to have thorns on their fat leaves. Scattered, stunted trees, twisted by the wind. Yet wolves could find hunting even in this land.”
