Figurative Language In Look Both Ways By Jason Reynolds

803 Words4 Pages

Many individuals have mixed feelings and emotions in life. There can be times when life can be draining and rough, but throughout all of this, everybody has felt the same way. In the novel “Look Both Ways” by Jason Reynolds, these hardships are widely displayed. Jason Reynolds writes about 10 different kids with a different perspective on society. Each of the kids has different difficulties and troubles they have to go through. Jason Reynolds uses symbolism, figurative language, and repetition to show how all the characters are connected through their hardships and emotions. Jason Reynolds uses many symbols to portray an important message in the book. In particular, the chapter “The Low Cuts Strike Again,” says “The Low Cuts, steal anything that jingles… ‘Four vanilla soft serves,’ Bit ordered… Bit’s mom had relapsed, ‘We got you a bunch of ice cream' Bit says”(20, 39, 40). These quotes represent how Bit and his group steal from others to buy ice …show more content…

Jason Reynolds uses the thought of a brown microscope peering into an object to portray the thought of someone looking into another’s thoughts. It makes the reader feel how deeply Jasmine is looking into TJ and the rapport relationship between the two characters. Another is when Jason Reynolds uses a metaphor to further explain how Fatima falls on the sidewalk, “Eyes up, which is why Fatima tripped on one of the six big cracks where the sidewalk split-a lightning bolt of separation-one part lifted just enough to be annoying” (66). The author uses a metaphor to further enhance the meaning of Fatima falling. He uses the view of the lightning bolt to explain the separation and “cracks” in Fatima’s life. In addition, It makes the reader feel empathy toward how Fatima is going through her brutal