Sensory Imagery In A Gun For Sale

Sensory Imagery in A Gun for Sale
If one thinks about the difference between music and books, they will come to a realization that they are infact very similar. A song just like a novel has a start, an ending and most importantly a climax. In between the climax comes the rising tension to reach the climax and falling action which brings us to the end of a song or a story. In Graham Greene’s novel, A Gun for Sale, we experience the buildup of tension. The author creates this by using cinematic aspects such as sensory imagery. Sensory imagery creates a vivid and expressive feeling by using sight and sound. Graham Greene uses numerous visual descriptions in the novel which have a great impact on the reader’s interpretation of the story. The novel begins by describing Raven’s physical appearance where he covers his mouth by using “the collar of his coat” (p1) due to his facial disability. Raven covers his “hare-lip” (1) from his surroundings since it was a serious disadvantage for him. Graham Greene gets the reader hooked into the story right after reading the first two

When Raven follows Anne to get her ticket, Anne responds by “dash[ing]” the hot coffee at his face” (p38). The coffee was so hot and painful that Raven starts “moan[ing] like an animal” (38). The author forces the reader to hear Raven moan like an animal. He is treated worse than an animal by his own social class let alone others. Dr Yogel, the nurse and Alice would have given him up at the spot. They don’t care about him even though they are from the same social class. Moreover, when Raven finds out that his own kind would double-cross him, he is shocked and feels betrayed. Ultimately, Raven is being hunted like an animal which is done deliberately. Greene wants us to put ourselves in his shoes to feel what he’s feeling. The author achieves this by using sound descriptions which creates a strong cinematic effect and builds