Language & Imagery

I found the language that Gruen used was easy to follow. I did, however, require a dictionary for a few words that were new to me. Some terminology is a bit different from my known vocabulary, as the bulk of the novel was set during the Great Depression. This made the book a fun read, yet it also challenged me. Gruen did a spectacular job with her imagery. There were many disturbing images that were brought up, and she described them quite well, in my opinion. For example; the disaster that brings down the entire circus is described so well that I can picture it in my head…

“Rosie stretches out her trunk, reaching for something. A giraffe passes between us, its long neck bobbing gracefully even in panic, and when it’s gone I see that Rosie has pulled her stake from the ground. She holds it loosely, resting its end on the hard dirt. The chain is still attached to her foot. She looks at me with bemused eyes. Then her gaze shifts to the back of August’s bare head. […] She lifts the stake as though it weighs nothing and splits his head in a single clean movement…” (pg. 395-396)

I find her description very useful when I try to imagine the events as they unfold. She does an amazing job providing imagery throughout the entire novel; this is just one example.