Leper’s Poetry
Leper describes the action sequence of the two boys running towards the tree. He describes the way they were positioned, the way they were moving and interacting. Given that he could not see anything because of the sun in his eyes he describes the situation through the shapes he could see of their bodies. He narrates his testimony in a more exaggerated way.
Lepers uses lots of elements to describe how the situation took place.” The sun was blazing all around them.” In this sentence leper is using a strong visual image. This sentence is trying to show how the atmosphere was at that exact moment. The sun blazing creates a warm environment and makes the story more peaceful.
‘I’ll never forget that’ he says. By saying this he is trying to convince the audience that the events were stuck in his memory and that he was telling the truth.
“The two of them looked as black as—as black as death standing up there with this fire burning all around them.” By using this simile to describe how the image of the silhouettes of two boys appeared in contrast of the sun, he is trying to convey a sense of mystery and suspense in his story. He compares the blackness of their bodies to the sense of death, implying the way in which the events were about to unravel. The detail used in this comparison, or figure of speech, intends to show the phycosis in his narration. He then starts to repeat himself, by using the exact same simili which shows how he had nothing else to say, no more detail to add to his story, as he was not sure what had happened.
Leper’s testimony narrated in a poetic way, instead of a straightforward event narration, goes to show that he himself, Leper, is not really sure of the events so he tries to embellish his retelling of the story. The use of visual and auditory imagery along with similes and comparisons help Leper portray a narration that seems real and true, in a confident way, but that does not assure any real detail or fact, showing how the narration is made up of delusions product of his psychosis.
