ipl-logo

Figurative Language In Richard Preston's The Hot Zone

680 Words3 Pages

Figurative language is sometimes used to make events have certain moods such as happiness, sadness, mystery, and suspense. The book focuses on a deadly virus that is highly contagious and is very oppressive. The virus had originated from the central rainforests of Africa, then had suddenly appeared in Germany. The book describes how Charles Monet bled out from the disease in the Nairobi Hospital waiting room, how monkeys contributed to spreading the disease, the effects the virus has on the body, and how the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, or USAMRIID tested the virus on monkeys and tried to find a cure for the virus. In The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston, the author uses figurative language such as foreshadowing …show more content…

When Dr. Musoke tries to treat his patient he tries to insert a needle in the patient, but his patient would not stop bleeding from the places he stuck the needle. Preston writes, “At every place in the patient’s arm where he stuck the needle, the vein broke apart like cooked macaroni and spilled blood, and the blood ran from the punctures down the patient’s arm and wouldn’t coagulate” (27). This proves the thesis because it is establishing the mysterious and suspenseful mood that is used all throughout the book. While the medical system may lower the outbreak, there are some cases where the medical system intensifies the outbreak. Preston writes in the text, “In some cases, the medical system may intensify the outbreak, like a lens that focuses sunlight on a heap of tinder” (98). This demonstrates how this quote is making the event more suspenseful and it sets the mood for the whole book, that as medical systems try to help and prevent the virus from reaching them, they in some cases make it worse. Finally, similes are used to establish the mood of the book and to make the event more suspenseful and mysterious. Foreshadowing and similes are used in The Hot Zone to create and establish the overall mood of the book and to make events that are happening suspenseful and mysterious. Richard Preston also uses other figurative language such as metaphors, allusions, personification,

Show More
Related
120 Words | 1 Pages

One example of figurative language in Laurie Hale Anderson’s book “Speak” is when Melinda decides to rid her garden of all weeds, and does some spring cleaning after it finally stops raining during May. Around the same time, Melinda is realizing that she wants to make some new changes in her life and in this figurative language example, Melinda’s life is her garden. She decides first to rake the leaves “suffocating the bushes” ; Melinda is ridding the demons from herself on the first layer of her skin. She says that she has to “fight the bushes (her problems)” and the bushes don’t like getting cleaned out but it is something one has to do if one makes

Read More
817 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the novel, the author Edward Bloor uses literary devices such as similes to make the readers visualize the descriptive situations in the story. These similes describe to the reader how different occurrences relate to other actions, objects, or living things.

Read More
278 Words | 2 Pages

In the short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” the author, Richard Connell uses the wonders of figurative language to spice things up in many ways throughout the story. Almost every page had something lying within itself, hidden behind metaphors similes, personification, and the list goes on. Some examples of how Richard Connell uses figurative language were clearly displayed on page 62: “Didn’t you notice that the crew’s nerves were a bit jumpy today?” This page also began to reveal the main feeling/emotion of the story(eerie/suspicious) came to be-which was set off by the example I used above. In this scene, the author uses very descriptive words and/or adjectives in his choice(s) of figurative language when he writes, “There was no breeze.

Read More
424 Words | 2 Pages

In The First Betrayal Josan, a man who works in a lighthouse finds himself in the midst of a violent storm. Consequently the disheartening storm threatens to destroy the light in the tower, causing the ships to crash into the rocks. In the passage- The First Betrayal, Patricia Bray’s use of harsh diction and vivid imagery creates a mood of suspense. For instance, the author’s use of word choice illustrates a tone of fear.

Read More
567 Words | 3 Pages

In the excerpt from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, rhetorical devices such as appeal to pathos, imagery, and simile helped create suspense when Christopher had found out about his undead mother. By creating suspense, it gives the reader a certain feeling of wanting to read more to figure out what would happen next. The author appeals to pathos by announcing Christopher’s undead mother. As Christopher had said, “Mother had not had a heart attack.

Read More
750 Words | 3 Pages

Coupland has the capability of turning simple words into intense feelings: “He pours the drink down the sink, runs to the ice machine, and sticks his head inside, trying to cool the burning shame. The sub-zero mist enters his nostrils, freezer-burning his membranes. His sweat is cold. ”(Coupland 59) Because of his attention to detail, the reader is taken deeper into Coupland’s world, sensing everything the characters are going through.

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

One of the best ways William Golding uses a literary devices to create the intense tone is by diction. For example, “Ralph flung back his hair. One arm pointed at the empty horizon. His voice was loud and savage, and struck them into silence” (Golding 70). Anger causes tension when characters become unpredictable.

Read More
469 Words | 2 Pages

Literary Analysis Suspense. It's what makes us sit on the edge of our seats at movies, or has us biting our nails as we read. It’s the backbone behind any classic horror film where the babysitter keeps getting unknown phone calls about checking the children and she asks the police to trace the call only to get a call back saying it's coming from upstairs.

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

(1). He uses the rhetorical device of figurative language to give the reader a strong image of his feeling

Read More
630 Words | 3 Pages

In the text, Irony is used to really create a lot of the conflicts in the

Read More
1143 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the entire novel, the author’s use of literary devices is very clear. These literary devices, specifically similes and personification, help the reader get a better idea of the exact sounds and feelings which will allow them to know what it feels like to be there in that moment. “ I stood there, trying to think of a comeback, when suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound, like the sound you get when you open a vacuum-sealed can of peanuts. Then the brown water that had puddled up all over the field began to move. It began to run toward the back portables, like someone pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub.

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

The mood can even be described as ironic because a character's name is Fortunato which means fortunate, but instead he gets murdered. The key details and wording support and strengthen the mood. Furthermore, key details such as the way Montresor acts and wording that describes a scene support

Read More
908 Words | 4 Pages

Truman Capote uses variety of language devices to vividly develop Perry Smith in his novel In Cold Blood. These language devices include, diction, similes and symbolism. Throughout the novel diction is used to develop Perry Smith’s character, and suggest reasons for the murder. When Smith explains what happened that night at the Clutter’s family home, he tells agent Alvin Dewey about his moment with Nancy Clutter.

Read More
1217 Words | 5 Pages

The events that are foreshadowed lead up to the bombshell reveal of Barbara’s biological father. The central purpose of this story is to reveal the theme that when a person lets passion cloud their judgment a negative outcome is almost assured. This extensive use of foreshadowing aids in the designation of superior literary quality. Wharton makes excellent use of irony throughout “Roman Fever”. Irony can come in various forms throughout literature and can be described as either being situational or verbal irony.

Read More
107 Words | 1 Pages

The stories of the World War Two air raids on Hamburg, Germany in the summer of 1943 has forever changed how the world views the Jewish race. The impacts they have had on the modern society’s recognition, views and beliefs of the horrific events have established a better understanding of what a Jewish Hamburger in the 1940’s had to go through during those times and how they had the will to survive. Marione Ingram’s ‘Operation Gomorrah’, relives an adult Jewish Hamburg looking back at their key childhood memories and constructs this survivalist identity through her use of textual form, figurative language, idiom/register and tone in her piece.

Read More

More about Figurative Language In Richard Preston's The Hot Zone

Open Document