Story Of An Eyewitness Essay

Imagine reading a book that had no true plot, setting, theme, or set of characters. Would it be worth it to read on if everything was just a jumbled mess? Use of language within writings is just as important as all other aspects of writing as listed above. The Story of an Eyewitness, written by Jack London, is phenomenal in its usage of allusions, imagery, and anaphora.

To begin, many future occurrences are alluded to in The Story of an Eyewitness. Although at the beginning of the story only a small portion of the city was up in flames the account that "There was no opposing the flames. There was no organization, no communication" (London, The Story...) encourages the belief that there was no way to stop the flames which would lead to the destruction of the entire city. Allusions are also seen in the section referring to the evacuation as it is stated "They had left their homes burdened with possessions" (London, The Story...). From this is it seen that the possessions the evacuating people brought with them were burdens, thus leading to the belief that eventually these burdens would be lifted. In reading further, it is seen that indeed the evacuees rid themselves of their …show more content…
Vivid mental pictures can be made all throughout the story as it unfolds. One example of imagery includes the phrase "miles and miles of magnificent buildings and towering skyscrapers" (London, The Story...). From this not only comes the image of extreme length, but also great beauty and height within the city. Another example of imagery allows the reader to imagine an extreme calmness in parts of the affected city: " It was dead calm. Not a flicker of wind stirred" (London, The Story...). In stark contrast to calmness, London uses the phrase "flames were leaping upward" (London, The Story...) to bring the reader into full circle of the different experiences people were having in certain parts of the