In the first take home quiz the first question asked “what do you think is an important or interesting feature to narrative discourse” this allowed me to think about the figurative language. Figurative language was defined in class as language used in an unusual way; usually when language goes beyond the literal meaning or departs from the usual order of words. In the novel Odds Against Tomorrow the author Nathaniel Rich uses an excessive amount of imagery to describe how different tragedies will strike the world. For instance, when Mitchell is talking about the possible situations his audience is often scared by the amount of imagery and detail. Mitchell says,
“Chinese sleeper agents are activated in every major U.S. city. Cyberattacks strain the electrical grid, checkeboarding it. Kidnappings, corruption, political murders begin to occur. Slowly at first, then more frequently. Why? No one knows. Policemen are assassinated by the dozen. Prominent journalists begin to vanish. The managing partner for your firm is going out for his early morning swim at his home on Long Island when a band of Chinese agents stun him with a taser and throw him into the back of an armored truck. Your managing partner wakes up in a dungeon, four levels below Canal Street, his wrists cinched to his ankles, and an apple in his mouth” (Rich 59-60).
The imagery about the Chinese attacking and kidnapping the people in charge of large corporations seems very possible by the way Mitchell describes it. Mitchell must use a lot imagery in order to convince his client of the possible problem. He used the right amount of research and description to make his potential clients sign with him and Future World.
As the reader, I was left disappointed by the lack of imagery when hurricane Tammy hit New York. In the chapters leading up to the hurricane some much detail went into the creation of disasters that never happened, but when the real tragedy occurred I was left unsatisfied. My expectations were high from the pictures painted in my mind from the possible situations. In my opinion, there needed to be a wow factor to hurricane Tammy because after all this was the climax of the story. The only details given described the waves on Third Avenue, the sound of fists on glass, and the lack of light. Mitchell and Jane barricaded the only window they had access too in order to shield themselves from the glass window.
It would have been more interesting for the reader to be down in the storm instead of protected in the apartment. The lack of imagery during Tammy made me want to know more. How did the bodies pile up in Grand Central Station? I think it could have been an interesting scene if Mitchell and Jane became stuck somewhere. If the two characters had to survive outside of the apartment and in the actual storm, the reader could see how Mitchell reacted to the storm hitting New York City.
Once the storm was over, the imagery came back to life. I could imagine myself riding in the Psycho Canoe and looking up at the constellations on the ceiling of Grand Central or seeing the mobs of people fight over food and water. The detail came back and I was able to picture the journey Mitchell and Jane were on. I just wish Rich had included more details about the actual impact storm because I felt I was left unfulfilled.
I find your thoughts to be interesting and I agree with your view on the lack of imagery when Hurricane Tammy hit. I also was not pleased with the lack of imagery and felt that we were definitely deprived of intense and much needed depictions that we could visualize in our heads. I like your suggestions on what Rich could have wrote concerning the initial hits of the Hurricane, I think it would be pretty interesting and more ideal if Jane and Mitchell were outside and in the storm, trying to figure out how to survive.
You raise some fascinating points that I really didn’t think about. It is very true that Rich utilizes imagery to a great extent and that is one of the key literary techniques that hooks the reader, and in the case of the Chinese sleeper agents, the client as well. I think it is no mistake that Rich ceased his use of imagery during the storm. It conveyed to the reader a feeling of darkness, of emptiness. We were like Jane and Mitchell, at the mercy of Tammy and unaware of what was going on outside. I think the images after the storm has passed are very powerful, but they may have not been as powerful if not for the darkness that preceded it.
Yes, a really fascinating post; thank you for sharing these reflections on Rich’s use of imagery in Odds Against Tomorrow. To add to Ryan’s interpretation of this seeming lack of imagery during the hurricane, perhaps one reason why Rich does not take us as readers “down in the storm” has to do with the question of privilege and who is able to take shelter from the storm and who is not. Maybe Rich is subtly commenting on the fact that Mitchell and Jane have it pretty good — they are prepared, safe, have lots of money, etc — and thus don’t have to face the brunt of the storm. It certainly would be a much different narrative if told from the perspective of people who were trying to escape from Grand Central station, or, for that matter, told from the perspective of the people living in the Flatlands!
You created some interesting points about the figurative language in the novel, although I do disagree about your thoughts about Hurricane Tammy. I thought that the imagery and the diction used in the novel was really impactful and powerful. I pictured Tammy perfectly and realized that this hurricane was a big deal. I also think that the lead up to Tammy was powerful too.