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Urban Setting In Ann Petry's The Street

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In this passage from, "The Street", by Ann Petry, Lutie Johnson's relationship with her urban setting is expressed thoroughly. The author creates a vision of the surroundings and expresses Lutie's relationship with her urban setting through the use of selection of detail, personification,imagery and figurative language. Petry begins the passage utilizing the selection of detail. She stated, "It rattled the tops of garbage cans, sucked windows shades out through the top of the opened windows and set them flapping back against the windows"(Paragraph 1). She uses details to describe how forceful the wind that was blowing was and the strength of it.This quote establishes the Lutie's relationship. It expresses that the relationship is a negative …show more content…

This quote from the passage shows that Lutie feels that the elements of her surroundings have a negative effect on the population. Instead of contributing to society, the elements metaphorically, "take" from society in the form of harsh, irritant weather. The author is giving the wind human like qualities by saying it snatched the hats and other things off of the people that were in the streets.Imagery also plays a part within the novel. The passage says, "Fingering its way along the curb the wind set the bits of paper to dancing high in the air, so that a barrage of paper swirled into the faces of the people on the street"(Paragraph 2). This quote shows the impact that surroundings have on the objected and people in the city and you can imagine in your head what that looks like or maybe even feel like. It also shows how Lutie herself sees the weather and surroundings.She sees her surroundings as bothersome and unappreciated. Lastly, the author uses figurative language to give life to the

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Ann Petry pens a stimulating expositional read in her 1946 novel, The Street. Running with the over-arching anticipated universal theme of vulnerability, Petry establishes Lutie Johnson’s relationship with the urban setting quite succinctly. Through her use of well-placed literary conventions, Ann Petry delivers a piece that will withstand the test of time. Petry establishes the wind as a symbol of an attacker to foreshadow Lutie Johnson’s violent future. From the very first paragraph, the wind is written ripping through the street, doubling over the pedestrians against its force.

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