Literary Techniques In Gretchen Shirm's Having Cried Wolf

Having Cried Wolf does a lot of work in only a short amount of space. Gretchen Shirm does so by taking on multiple characters’ stories, including different perspectives and interwoven storylines, all the while being chock full of vivid imagery and carefully crafted with literary techniques such as similes and metaphors. She also gives such specific, detailed, and relatable examples, appealing to multiple senses that make the reader feel almost as if they are actually there. For me, all of these techniques make the book more relatable, which in turn makes it come to life in a way. Similes are sprinkled throughout the book; some more poetic while others are simple and mundane comparisons, some that set the scene while others do a nice job of …show more content…
“Then I turned on the gas from the stove and its sour smell wafted around me,” appeals to the sense of smell and touch directly, while still allowing the reader to infer the underlying sense of taste by saying, “the metallic smell of smoke stayed in the house and at the back of my throat for days.” Shirm doesn’t gloss over the simple, mundane actions such as the act of Phillipa turning on the gas stove. Instead she mentions it, though briefly, which gives the reader a sense of touch before diving into the smell and sights around. One of the most visually graphic descriptions for me comes just shortly after when she says, “I struck a match against the box and it jumped greedily alight. I held it to the dress and it sort of melted against the match; the fabric shriveled and turned black.” These few sentences are almost a sensory overload, not in an overpowering way, but in a way that makes the reader feel immersed in the