The Treasure of Lemon Brown

Imagery is a literary device that appeals to one or more of the reader’s senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. In this story, imagery develops the mood and setting. For instance, visual and tactile imagery combine in the ominous description of the storm that breaks at the start of the narrative: “There was a flash of nearby lightning, and soon large drops of rain splashed onto his jeans” (36). Similarly, auditory and visual imagery add to the tension when one of the thieves approaches Greg and Lemon Brown’s hiding place: “There was a footstep on the stairs, and the beam from the flashlight danced crazily along the peeling wallpaper” (41). In contrast, tactile imagery supports the mood shift to an atmosphere of calm at the end of the narrative: “The night had warmed and the rain had stopped” (60). This imagery about the change in the weather reflects and emphasizes the changes that have occurred within the protagonist throughout the story.

Personification is a type of figurative language that attributes human qualities, feelings, or features to non-human subjects. Myers uses this literary device to add interest to the prose and to give insight into the characters’ emotions and perspectives. For example, the author attributes human emotions to the storm clouds by describing them as “angry” (34). This instance of personification accentuates the anger that the protagonist feels toward his father at the start of the story. In addition, the elderly Lemon Brown uses figurative language in his dialogue to personify the aches and pains he feels: “Howdy, Mr. Pain, sees you back again” (60). Lemon Brown’s presentation of pain as someone that he acknowledges but doesn’t allow to bother him reflects his resilient sense of humor and his wise perspective that everyone experiences hardships.