Figurative Language In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

“Figurative language can give shape to the difficult and the painful. It can make visible that which is invisible” (Mary Oliver). The use of figurative language can provide deeper insight into a text, often providing us with a more thorough understanding of what we are reading about. In the novel “The Outsiders” author S.E. Hinton uses figurative language to give us deeper insight into the text, and improves the overall word choice by enhancing imagery. Figurative language further conveys the author’s message by giving us deeper insight into the text. An example of Hinton’s use of figurative language would be on page 56, where she states, “My stomach gave a violent jump and my blood turned icy.” The author's use of personification in this quote gives the reader a better description of the events she is describing.

The same would go for Hinton’s expression on page 54, “He was white as a ghost and his eyes were wild looking, like the eyes of an animal in a trap.” Instead of just saying he was scared, Hinton goes out of her way to creatively give us the context of why he was believed to be scared. Her use of the simile helps us to better build off of the basic information and continue reading with a deeper knowledge of what is going on in the text. Figurative language such as personification and similes can give us a better understanding of the events and message the author is conveying. Figurative language can further convey the theme of a text by enhancing the overall imagery. An example of this would be on page 58, when Hinton states, “It scraped on my raw nerves like sandpaper.” This simile assists us in developing a more precise mental image of what is occurring. The use of figurative language in this text adds to a once dull, and non-descriptive phrase and now creatively portrays it in a comprehensive