The Old Town: Exploring Personification in Literature
What can the reader take away from the personification used in the excerpt from The Old Town by Jacob Riis?
A. The people that live in Old Town are always happy.
B. The Vikings are a threat to the waters that surround Old Town.
C. The weather is a character in itself and communicates a gloomy mood to the reader.
D. It is difficult to get to and from the town because the mountains are menacing and mean.
Answer:
The personification used in the bolded sections of the passage suggests that the weather is a character in itself and communicates a gloomy mood to the reader.
The personification in the excerpt from The Old Town by Jacob Riis serves to give human-like qualities to non-human elements, in this case, the weather. By describing the wind as "pitiless" and the fog as embracing the people, Riis creates a melancholic and somber atmosphere for the readers.
The phrase "pitiless west wind" conveys a sense of harshness and cruelty, while the fog rolling in over the land envelops the people in a damp and eerie embrace. These personifications make the weather a central figure in the narrative, impacting the mood and tone of the setting.
The choice C, stating that the weather is a character itself and communicates a gloomy mood to the reader, is supported by the descriptions in the excerpt. The weather plays a significant role in shaping the emotional landscape of Old Town, making it more than just a backdrop but an active participant in the story.