The short story "The Rattler" includes a few examples of imagery. The author chose to describe the snake as "six-foot blacksnake thick as my wrist" to create a threatening image of the snake to the reader. If the author had described the snake as a harmless shoelace the man would not seem to have a reason to kill the snake. The authors description "the scrub's dry savory odors" appeals to the readers by creating a pleasant idea of a distinct smell. The author includes this imagery of the specific smell to emphasize that the man was alone in an unpopulated area where both the man and snake could have left the area unharmed. In the description of the snake's rattling the author includes, "the little tocsin sounded" to enhance the idea that
