Literary Techniques In Michael Hingson's Thunder Dog

To quote the words of Zig Ziglar, “It's not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important.” Michael Hingson had to learn this throughout his entire life, especially during one of the most monumental events in modern day history: the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Author Michael Hingson, with the help of Susy Flory, reiterated this idea throughout the book Thunder Dog. The main message Hingson conveys in Thunder Dog is to make the best of a situation. Using flashbacks, dialogue, and character actions, Hingson relays this message. To start off, Hingson uses the literary device of flashbacks to show how he dealt with negative experiences and turned them into positive ones. From birth, Michael …show more content…
While he was escaping the World Trade Center, he lightened the mood with humor to help himself and others. For example, while in the tower, he said “‘Don’t anybody worry. Roselle and I are giving a half-priced special to get you out of here if the lights go out’” (67). The author is once again using his blindness not as a barrier, but an asset to help everyone feel better during a terrifying moment of their lives. Another way the author used dialogue to convey his message is by calmly responding to people. During his descent, he was challenged by firefighters who were determined to help. “‘Well, we’re going to send somebody down with you, because we want to make sure you get down okay.’ I think of the millions of pieces of burning paper raining down from my office windows. ‘You don’t have to do that… I’ve got a guide dog and we’re good’” (83). Instead of getting frustrated with the firefighters, Hingson maintained a calm disposition and firmly but politely rejected their offers to help. As a whole, it is obvious how Hingson uses both humorous and calm dialogue to dissipate the tension in the