When we personify something, we give it human characteristics. For example, if I said, "The flower stretched toward the sun's rays," we are giving the flower the characteristic of "stretching," a word normally used for human beings. Personification is a figurative language technique used to make writing more descriptive and...
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When we personify something, we give it human characteristics. For example, if I said, "The flower stretched toward the sun's rays," we are giving the flower the characteristic of "stretching," a word normally used for human beings. Personification is a figurative language technique used to make writing more descriptive and interesting.
In "The Most Dangerous Game," author Richard Connell uses personification throughout. On the very first page he uses it to describe the evening heat.
"'Can't see it,' remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht" (Connell 1).
The night can't really "press" its blackness. Connell is personifying the night here.
A little later Whitney asks Rainsford if he has noticed that "the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today" (Connell 1). Again, nerves don't really jump. Jumpy is a word we sometimes use to express the state of being nervous.
After Whitney retires to bed, Rainsford is left alone on the deck of the ship. Connell describes the night once again using personification. "The sensuous drowsiness of the night was on him" (Connell 2) Drowsiness is a human trait he is using for the darkness.
When Rainsford falls overboard and after swimming vigorously for some time reaches the shore, he is happy to hear a particular sound.
"Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears--the most welcome he had ever heard--the muttering and growling of the sea breaking on a rocky shore" (Connell 3)
Here Connell describes the sea as "muttering." People mutter, and Connell chooses this particular word to personify the sea.
These are just a few examples of personification in "The Most Dangerous Game." If you read carefully, you will find many more!
Personification is the giving of human characteristics to non-human/non-living things. An example of personification is: the wind screams at me. Here, the wind is given the capability to scream at the speaker. Wind cannot scream and, therefore, it is personified.
In Richard Connell's short story, The Most Dangerous Game, there are many examples of personification.
1. "Trying to peer through the dank tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht" is an example of personification based upon the fact that the night is pressing itself (its warm thick blackness") on the yacht. Darkness cannot press itself upon something. Therefore, it is personified in the text.
2. "Who cares how a jaguar feels?" "Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney. Here, the jaguar is given the ability to care. This, therefore, is an example of personification based upon the fact that the jaguar is given (or assumed to possess) the ability to care.
3. "A sharp hunger was picking at him." This is another example of personification given that hunger is able to "pick" at Rainsford. Hunger cannot "pick" at someone. Therefore, it is personified by being given the ability to do so.