A River In Darkness Figurative Language

Throughout the book, A River in Darkness, Masaji Ishikawa presents the readers with the difficult topic of the struggles of living in North Korea. He discusses the struggles in different ways, which can bring light to his personal problems with living in North Korea. Ishikawa's character is able to be shown, especially when discussing family, and his dreams for the future. He is able to give the reader a description of his life in North Korea, and is able to make the reader feel the pain that he experiences. Ishikawa's dream to have a better life is constantly crushed by the reality of his life, yet he still manages to have some hope in a supposedly better life, even if it's not achievable. Masaji Ishikawa explains the hardships of living in North Korea in his book, A River in Darkness through figurative language. He uses figurative language in an attempt to give the reader a better understanding of how

It accentuates the potency of Ishikawa's writings surrounding the things he suffered through. He uses negative diction surrounding his time in North Korea, "Our tumbledown house was almost able to keep out the rain, but the wind rattled through the place constantly" (61). The word, "tumbledown" helps the reader visualize Ishikawa's thoughts surrounding his living situation. He constantly wanted better for himself and his family, and was never fully satisfied with what he was stuck with. The topic of pain caused by the North Korean government is not limited to Ishikawa's writings, but moreover a very present topic, "I never witnessed a public execution myself, but it wouldn't surprise me" (126). Ishikawa uses the word, "surprise" to explain to the readers how this awful punishment is what is to be expected of the North Korean government. The mistreatment of the citizens had become an expectation, and it's easy to lose hope for a better