Imagery of Peacefulness
Avis is surrounded by redwoods and the sound of rippling water over mossy stones. She sees butterflies under the sunshine while hearing the bees hum. The quiet and peacefulness create a sense of restlessness in Avis because she knows it is the calm before the storm.
Imagery of the Machine
Ernest describes those who are in the business field are bound by the machine which stands for a symbol of the industrial world. He tells Avis that two women he knows are so tied to the machine that they sit on top of it. This imagery displays that these women who are the wives of powerful businessmen are bound to the industrial world to the point where they are the top of it.
Imagery of Child Workers
Avis thinks of the child workers and compares them to "slaves." She sees in her mind their hands that have turned white because the hard work they had done pressed out the blood. This imagery reveals that Avis is starting to feel sympathy for the workers.
Imagery of a Shadow
Ernest tells Avis's father that a shadow is beginning to fall across the land. This imagery reveals that Ernest thinks something big and menacing is nearing.
Imagery of Slums of San Francisco
Ernest tells Avis of the conditions in the slums of San Francisco. He mentions the "drunkenness, prostitution, and criminality." This imagery suggests what horrors the middle-class must endure every day.
