Title: What Are the Effects of Figurative Language on a Short Story? | Education - Seattle PI
Headings: What Are the Effects of Figurative Language on a Short Story?
What Are the Effects of Figurative Language on a Short Story?
Figurative Language Creates Mood
Figurative Language Develops Characterization
Figurative Language Advances the Plot
Figurative Language Enhances Everyday Language

Content: Figurative Language Advances the Plot
Figurative language can advance the plot of a short story. Figurative language can slow the pace of the plot through lengthy descriptions and comparisons to encourage a more philosophical approach, or it can be used to create suspense and drive the storyline. For example, at the end of "The Most Dangerous Game," when confronted by General Zaroff for the final time, Rainsford responds, "I am still a beast at bay." This metaphor emphasizes the emotional state of Rainsford and foreshadows one last battle. Figurative Language Enhances Everyday Language
Figurative language can elevate ordinary, everyday language. Much like figurative language enhances common language, the use of metaphors, similes and imagery adds to the reader’s experience. By utilizing figurative language, an author draws his reader into the story world he has created and encourages the reader to be an active participant -- to feel what the characters feel, to see what they see. For example, in James Thurber’s "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," the opening paragraph, which depicts Mitty as the hero in one of his many fantastical escapes from mundane reality, describes the Commander’s voice "like thin ice breaking." Rather than merely including dialogue, the use of a simile provides the reader with a more complete picture of the scene. 00:13
/
00:45
Replay
Skip
Ads by
Read More
References
National Council of Teachers of English: