Exemplary Use Of Imagery In Vonnegut's

Author James Thurber’s use of imagery greatly enhanced the characterization, whereas Vonnegut’s use was lacking. This is because the imagery used in Thurber’s story directly connected to the characters, unlike Vonnegut’s use which seemed incomplete. An example of Vonnegut’s inadequate imagery would be this quote: “A buzzer sounded in George’s head. His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm.” (Vonnegut 1) In contrast to that, here is an exemplary use of imagery from Thurber’s story: “Then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the Undefeated, inscrutable to the last.” (Thurber 3) Both of these quotes are examples of imagery, however Thurber’s passage prevails in terms of effectiveness.

Vonnegut’s citation gave the reader almost no insight into how George reacted.

George gave a very common reaction, which gives no originality to the character whatsoever. On the other hand, Thurber’s use of imagery allowed the reader to envision Walter Mitty’s uncommon reaction. The majority of people would be nervous or afraid when standing in front of a firing squad, but not Walter. Thurber also used compelling imagery throughout the story; Mitty showed a multitude of emotions and the reader was given plenty of insight as to what Walter is like. Meanwhile, in Harrison Bergeron all the characters seemed to be static. In actuality, none of the characters changed; they were all constant throughout the story. Thurber’s approach to imagery was much more effective and also enhanced characterization, and countless other aspects of the

story.