Hum of the Ocean, Bark of Gulls (Auditory Imagery)
After an argument in which he tries to convince the Liars to see Beechwood Island from a less-privileged perspective, Gat storms away from his mocking friends and wades into the water. Cadence joins him, and the tense mood quickly shifts. Cadence comments: "And it was—exquisite. The night looming above us. The hum of the ocean. The bark of gulls." In this example of auditory imagery, Lockhart immerses the reader in Cadence's sensory experience by detailing the seaside ambient sound of waves mixing with the calls of birds.
Smells of Bleach and Wine (Olfactory Imagery)
Returning to Beechwood during summer seventeen, Cadence and her mother find Aunt Carrie in the kitchen of the rebuilt Clairmont house. Cadence notes how her aunt gives a hug that is "too long and too hard, like she is trying to hug some deep and secret message," adding that Carrie "smells of bleach and wine." In this example of olfactory imagery, Lockhart enhances the realism of the scene by detailing the particular scents Cadence picks up on while being hugged. Unbeknownst to Cadence, the combination of bleach and wine is significant because it hints at how Carrie is dealing with her grief, simultaneously busying herself with obsessive cleaning and drinking to blunt her emotions.
Heading Away From Me in Her Nightgown (Visual Imagery)
One night during summer seventeen, Cadence finds she cannot sleep because of the winds rattling the windows. She goes out onto the porch and discovers her aunt is also awake: "Aunt Carrie is on the walkway, heading away from me in her nightgown and a pair of shearling boots. She looks skinny, with the bones of her chest exposed and her cheekbones hollow." In this example of visual imagery, Lockhart emphasizes the haunting quality of Carrie wandering in the dark by detailing how the moonlight accentuates her skeletal skinniness. With this image, Lockhart hints that Carrie's grief over Johnny has brought her closer to death herself.
Chanel Perfume on the Fabrics (Olfactory Imagery)
Unlike past summers, Cadence's fifteenth stay at Beechwood Island is marred by the grief she feels for her recently deceased grandmother, Tipper. Unable to show vulnerability in front of family members, Cadence seeks refuge in Tipper's sewing room to release pent-up tears. Cadence says, "Before long I was a puddle, soaking into the pretty cotton prints. ... My grandmother, my grandmother. Gone forever, though I could smell her Chanel perfume on the fabrics." In this example of olfactory imagery, Lockhart highlights how Tipper's presence lingers in the scent she left behind on her possessions.
