"...that there are people out there... who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you- of how you were brought into this world and why... The first time you glimpse yourself through the eyes of a person like that, it's a cold moment. It's like walking past a mirror you've walked past everyday of your life, and suddenly it shows you something else, something troubling and strange" (36).
I found this quote to be very interesting, not just for the figurative language it contains, but for the questions it elicits. Although I thought about what the entire quote could mean, I was especially drawn to the figurative language the author used, specifically a simile. The purpose of the figurative language is to make the characters' experience more personable to the reader. Most people reading the novel probably have never experienced being contained in a school while others "on the outside" dread them or the thought of coming in contact with them. This situation is unique to the students at Hailsham who are feared by those outside of the school. By giving the reader the mental picture of the mirror, the author provides an experience that is easier for the reader to visualize and understand. The author wants the reader to share in the emotions of the characters, so he uses figurative language to describe the emotions in a way the reader can understand. Also, the figurative language evokes an image in the reader's mind of an experience that could potentially be life changing. To have an idea of who you are or what your image in the mirror is and then have that picture forever altered in an abrupt and strange manner must be a pivotal point in one's life. This illustrates the magnitude of the effect the new knowledge had on the characters. In addition to helping me understand the characters' emotions on a deeper level, the figurative language prompted me to question why the students at Hailsham are so different and why others dread them.
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