The Golden Ass

The Golden Ass Imagery

Lucius's Transformation

Lucius's transformation is very vivid. Apuleius details how he spreads ointment on himself, and how instead of becoming a bird, his limbs lengthen and he develops coarse hair and turns into an ass.

Lucius's Journey

Lucius's journey is depicted with very potent imagery. His beatings, his sexual encounter with the married woman, his gorging himself on food and desserts, his working for the baker, his treatment at the hands of the bandits, and more, are memorable and at times hard to read.

The estate-owner's dinner

This scene is hard to handle for its violent and disturbing imagery. The fountain of blood, the chicken birthing a chicken, the stories of the dead sons are all insidiously memorable and vivid.

Witchcraft

The witches' spells and encounters (Meroe's enchantment of Socrates, Pamphile turning into a bird) are very beguiling, seductive, and vivid in their imagery.