Analysis of the Rape of Pecola pages Danny Fung H3CS

Start: Page 127 “She was washing dishes.” End: Page 128 “…from a circus balloon.”

Rhetorical Questions “What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How? What could his calloused hands produce to make her smile? What of his knowledge of the world and of life could be useful to her? What could his heavy arms and befuddled brain accomplish that would earn him his own respect, that would in turn allow him to accept her love?” This large list of rhetorical questions demonstrates Cholly’s uncertainty of what he can do to please and help Pecola. The bulk/sheer number of rhetorical questions he asks at the same time displays his confusion as well as fear of doing something wrong. He is not the “alpha male type” of person who always thinks only about himself, he wants to care for Pecola.

List of three “The sequence of his emotions was revulsion, guilt, pity, then love.” “His revulsion was a reaction to her young, helpless, hopeless presence.” The list of three’s used illustrate Cholly’s confusion and stream of thoughts going through his mind. It may also be used to allow the reader to understand Cholly’s reasoning that made him commit the rape.

Metaphor “His hatred of her slimed in his stomach and threatened to become vomit.” “…a bolt of desire…” “His soul seemed to slip down to his guts and fly out into her” “…next he felt the discomfort dissolve into pleasure” The metaphors are used to create explicit images in the reader’s mind. They may also be used to convey the magnitude of Cholly’s emotions (eg. “…a bolt of desire…”) and that metaphor may be used to describe the spontaneity of Cholly’s feelings as well as his in ability to control it.

Simile “…the only sound she made – a hollow suck of air in the back of her throat. Like the rapid loss of air from a circus balloon.” -

Alliteration “…her shocked body, the silence of her stunned throat…” “It was such a small and simple..” “His soul seemed to slip down…” All the quotes use sibilance (harsh sound of the “s”) The use of sibilance

Oxymoron “He wanted to break her neck – but tenderly” “He wanted to f*** her – tenderly.” Shows how Cholly’s nature is “mixing” and interfering with his love for Pecola. He feels naturally feels love towards Pecola but his aggressive nature does not allow him to display this to her.

Imagery “…a bolt of desire ran down his genitals, giving it length, and softening the lips of his anus.” “Crawling on all fours toward her, he raised his hand and caught the foot in an upward stroke.” Leaves a lasting impression on the reader as well as conveys the crudity of Cholly’s act.

Structure There is “sign-posting” used in this extract. This is “He wanted to break her neck – tenderly.” The end of the “sign-post” is on the next page: “He wanted to f*** her – tenderly.” In between these quotes, Cholly goes from being unsure about what he can do for Pecola to nibbling her leg then finally rape. There are two paragraphs in this extract. The first paragraph describes Cholly’s thoughts, feelings and emotions (his reasoning that leads to his actions). The second paragraph is when he has already convinced himself to rape Pecola and describes his actions.