Olds’ Effective Use of Linking Devices in The Elder Sister :: essays research papers

When constitution poetry, there are many descriptive methods an author may apply to communicate an idea or concept to their audience. One of the more in effect(p) methods that authors often use is linking devices, such as metaphors and similes. Throughout The Elder Sister, gagas uses linking devices in effect in many ways. An effective image Olds uses is that of the pressure of Mothers muscles on her brain, (5) providing a link to the mothers expectations for her children. She also uses images of peeing and fluidity to demonstrate the natural progression of a child into womanhood. another(prenominal) image is that of the verbalizers elder sister as a metaphorical shield, the one who protected her from the mental strain inflicted by their mother.Olds metaphor of the pressure of Mothers muscles on her brain, (5) compares the oral pressure of the mothers muscles during child abide to the mental strain that a child can endure from their parents expectations for their children. This is an effective metaphor in that both meanings can cause some form of strain, any physical of mental, on the daughter. Also, in both cases, this pain is caused by the speakers mother and inflicted on the eldest daughter. The third similarity mingled with the two is that both are in some way change magnitude the effect on the younger sister. In the case of childbirth, the first birth is usually more difficult than each successive birth. In the sniff out of the Mothers expectations for her daughters, the eldest child often receives the brunt of the parents vicarious aspirations, thus making it easier for the younger children to please them. Because these linked meanings dower these characteristics, Olds metaphor is effective.Another linking device that is used effectively is the simile linking a young woman coming of age and developing breasts to a rate rising out of a pond. These two entities are linked in that both rise soft over time. When a swan awakens, it slowly te rminates its head from its body, in the same fashion that the breasts of a woman raise from her chest when she comes of age. The two are also similar in color, as a swans down is white or unbalanced cream colored and skin that has not been darkened by the sunlight is often very pale. The third similarity in the two entities is the texture. both the down feathers of a swan and the skin of a womans breast are soft and smooth to the touch.