Situationalph Ellison Rhetorical Devices

In this specific passage, the narrator finds himself in a hole, surrounded by darkness. He is finally separate from all other driving forces that have affected him up to this point in his search for an identity, which would include the people he has encountered and the communities he has immersed himself in. By emphasizing impact through symbolism, irony, and vivid imagery within the narrator’s dream, Ralph Ellison is able to convey the critical importance of this section of the story.

The event which precedes the narrator’s dream is searching for paper to make a torch in the darkness of a hole. Ironically, the only things he has to burn and destroy are the items that have taken part in building his identity up to that point. This use of situational irony creates an intense situation and causes the reader to consider …show more content…
By losing a part of himself quite literally, the narrator pays the price to see that which he couldn’t see, as mentioned in the passage. Through constant deception, the narrator eventually finds his value and role in association to the society he lives in. The people with social power in the world he lives in built themselves upon those they have oppressed over the course of generations. Therefore, the “blood-red parts” of the narrator truly do represent the universe and the history made by those oppressors; without his people being born into this low social standing, those with privilege would have nothing - their world would fall apart. The author’s use of this euphemism creates room for multiple meanings. This reflects upon the overarching themes of race and power. The narrator’s “generations wasting upon the water” also could be connected to him as his grandfather left him with parting words on how to fend for himself with the power he has been given, yet he has still been