Panic
The introduction to the character named Kate is a portrait of panic painted in imagery. “His tie is gone, three buttons of his shirt open to reveal fine curls. The whites of his eyes glow pink…she catches the alcohol on his breath, sweet and pungent. Perspiration beads her back.” Kate is an abused woman, and the man is her abuser. The context of the imagery suggests that the precise descriptions of his appearance are longtime clues she has grown used to looking for. The sensory details of the odor of liquor and stick presence of panic sweat all contribute to creating a menacing scene beneath the ambiguous physical description.
Imprisonment
A different sort of imagery introduces Altha. “Footsteps. Then, the wrench of metal on metal as the bolt was drawn back. The light hurt my eyes. For a moment, the men in the doorway shimmered as if they were not of this world.” The simplicity of one single word indicating the presence of approaching men intensifies the menace. Sensory detail also makes the simple act of opening a cell even more ominous. The fact that exposure to light is painful and capable of creating disorienting effects informs the reader that this has not been some overnight trip to jail, but a much longer-term imprisonment.
Violet’s Tree
The third of three female protagonists is not immediately introduced with imagery, but soon afterward the technique helps to create a sense of setting. “The weevils searching for its cool sap; the ladybirds trembling on its leaves; the damselflies, moths, and finches flitting through its branches…a damselfly came to rest on her palm, its wings glittering in the sunlight. Golden warmth spread through her.” The imagery here reveals the depth of Violet’s appreciation of nature at a time when women were expected to remain in the kitchen for most of the day. This introductory passage helps to cement the idea that Violet is a free spirit in touch with her instincts and fiercely unwilling to sacrifice the pleasure they bring.
The Accident
Kate’s father dies at the hands of a monster. “A shadow fell across the road. There was a distant roar, and then a monster – the kind that she pretended she was too old to believe in, with red scales and silver teeth – appeared around the corner, bearing down on her.” This is an especially effective use of imagery because it instantly creates a picture of horror. It is only another couple of paragraphs before the horror is transformed from the unknown to the mundane. The red scales are painted chipping away and the silver teeth are merely a radiator grill. The roar is simply the sound of an engine pushing a car to greater speed. Kate’s father is a pedestrian run over by a vehicle, but the imagery is still accurate metaphorically.
