Imagery Within the Palace of Artificial Snows

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.................... English 211x ..................... 24 October 2011 Imagery Within the Palace of Artificial Snows In the story “Lady Yeti and the Palace of Artificial Snows”, imagery is what creates the illusion within the story. Karen Russell creates this illusion by using descriptive images to describe what happens during the Blizzard, which points the imagination towards a chaotic, calming place. When Badger and Reggie first start witnessing the Blizzard, they are only observing and not taking part in what is happening. Reggie then describes what he is seeing: “Most of the adults were spinning in excitable circles, orbiting one another, sliding forward, colliding, collapsing -- then skating quickly back to the snow fans, to hide beneath the starry blasts of snow” (Russell; pg 143). Here are adults just letting go and having fun with not a care in the world. The imagery also illustrates how the chaos is part of the fun. The adults are clearly there only to have fun and don’t care how they achieve this goal. To make it anonymous, so this goal can be achieved, there must be chaos through out the rink. This chaos is what brings the calming feeling because the adults can now just relax and not worry about being judged. It isn’t said that the adults are smiling or laughing, “..adults were spinning in excitable circles, …” (pg 143.) Although, this one line can establish that thought in the imagination on someone just because it brings up the subject of a chaotic, calming place. By using the word excitable, it makes it sound fun and thrilling, which is what the adults want and what Russell wants the reader to take from this scene. It’s meant to create an image of chaotic, thrilling fun, which is what brings on the relaxed, calm feeling. When Reggie and Badger finally enter the Blizzard they themselves get to experience the calm, chaotic feeling that
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