Description of Katsushiro’s Homeland
In the story, The Reed Choked House, Katsushiro returned to his home after he had been away for seven years. The narrator describes the state of his homeland as, ‘Although the sun had already sunk in the West and the rain clouds were so dark that they could burst, he doubted he could lose his way, having lived for so long in the village, and so he pushed through the fields of summer; but the jointed footbridge of old had fallen into the rapids…’
The imagery in the description of Katsushiro’s homeland is visual imagery. It has been built by the use of adjectives such as dark to describe the rainclouds and jointed to describe the footbridge.
Tegona of Mama
Tegona of Mama was a very beautiful girl whose beauty awed many. She committed suicide and her story was handed down for generations. When Katsushiro was desolate over the loss of his wife, he is told the story of Tegona of Mama. The narrator described her as, ‘…she wore a hempen robe with a blue collar; her hair was uncombed, and she wore no shoes, but with a face like the full moon, and a smile like a lovely blossom, she surpassed the fine ladies in the capital, wrapped in silk brocades woven with threads of gold.’
The description of Tegona of Mama is visual imagery. The narrator described the beauty of her features with the use of adjectives such as blue to describe her collar and similes such as, ‘a smile like a lovely blossom.’ These adjectives and similes build visual imagery.
Description of Miyagi
Miyagi was the wife of Katsushiro in the story, The Reed Choked House. Katsushiro had come home after he had been away for seven years. When he returned, his wife Miyagi was described as, ‘Her skin was dark with grime, her eyes were sunken, and long strands of hair fell loose down her back. He could not believe that she was the same person. Seeing her husband, she burst into wordless tears.’
The imagery in the description of Miyangi is visual imagery. The narrator described her desolate state vividly such that she can be imagined in the mind of the reader. The adjectives used include dark to describe her skin color and long to describe the length of her hair.
Toyoo’s Surroundings
In the story, A Serpent’s Lust, the narrator describes the environment in which Toyoo was in one rainy evening. It is described as, ‘One day late in the ninth month, the sea was remarkably calm, with no trace of wind or wave, when suddenly clouds appeared from the Southeast and a gentle rain began to fall.’
The description contains visual imagery. The narrator has built the imagery through the use of the adjective calm to describe the motion of the sea and gentle to describe the rain.
