Shifa Ali

6 Period
January 20, 2016
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Literary Devices-Downsiders
1. Allusion - An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work,
or work of art.
2. Foreshadowing - Foreshadowing is the authors use of clues to hint at what might
happen later in the story.
3. Irony - Irony is a contradiction between what happens and what is expected.
a. Dramatic irony - Dramatic irony is when the audience is aware of something
that the character or speaker is not.
b. Structural irony - Structural irony occurs when individuals internal to a
narrative express faulty perceptions of reality.
c. Verbal irony - Verbal irony is something contradictory that is said.
4. Metaphor - A metaphor is when something is described as though it was something else;
it works by pointing out a similarity between two unlike things.
5. Personification - Personification is when a nonhuman subject is given human
characteristics.
6. Simile - A simile uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas.
7. Imagery - Imagery is when authors use images to describe how their subjects look,
sound, feel, taste, and smell.

1. Allusion Page 83 states, The moment Lindsay crossed the threshold, she was
quick to realize that this place was as different from the High Perimeter as her own
world was. She had come through the rabbit hole into a realm of beauty.
a. This quote is an allusion because it is referring to a scene from the wellknown movie, Alice in Wonderland.
b. This allusion describes how Lindsay goes to a new place that is much
different than her home is similar to how Alice goes through the rabbit hole to
an unfamiliar realm.
2. Foreshadowing Page 4 states, His name and destiny are of little importance, but
he does command some attention here, for the sole reason that his life is about to
end.
a. This quote is an example of foreshadowing because it is hinting that
someones life is about to end.
b. This example of foreshadowing means that Robert is about to commit
suicide, but his name and destiny are not important because it changes when
he becomes a Downsider.
3. Dramatic irony Page 127 states, The only thing he could think to say was, Tell
Railborn he can have my bottle-cap collection.
a. This is a form of dramatic irony because Talon is using his last words to give
Railborn his collection, but he doesnt know Railborn was the one who told on
him.

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b. This example shows that the reader is aware that Railborn snitched on him,
but Talon isnt; if he was he wouldnt have used his last words to give
Railborn one of his prized-possessions.
Structural irony Page 133 states, If someone had told him of a place like this, he
would not have believed it.
a. This is a form of structural irony because it is explaining how Talons
perceptions of the topside are much different than how it actually is.
b. This example shows the reader that everything has perspective, Talon had
his idea of the topside, but when he actually witnessed it he was in awe.
Verbal irony Page 35 states, He lectured me for forty- five minutes, he said.
Thats a new record.
a. This is a form of verbal irony because when Todd says this it is showing
contradiction and sarcasm.
b. This example shows the reader that Todd is not happy about being lectured
by exaggerating and being sarcastic as he tells Lindsay what happened.
Metaphor Pages 3 to 4 state, Sheltered from the high winds, the flake wafted
undisturbed down the face of Grand Central Station and landed on the tip of the
nose of a young man who sat firmly on the bottom rung of lifes ladder.
a. This is a metaphor because it comparing the young mans life to the bottom
rung of a ladder without using like or as.
b. This metaphor is explaining how the young mans life is bad or in a low place
internally, just as low as the bottom rung of a ladder.
Personification Page 245 states, Up above, the winds sliced through the clouds,
tearing them into a mosaic of light. Personification Page 245 states, Up above,
the winds sliced through the clouds, tearing them into a mosaic of light.
a. This is an example of personification because it is giving the wind human-like
characteristics such as sliced and tearing.
b. This example explains how forceful the wind is moving the clouds by using
human characteristics.
Simile Page 4 states, To the business folk in camel-hair coats and Armani shoes,
the bums of the city were unfortunate byproducts of their lives - like the mountains of
trash that accumulated each time the sanitation workers went on strike so they
simply turned their noses up and kept on walking.
a. This is a simile because it is comparing to unlike things, the bums of the city
and mountains of trash, using the word like.
b. This simile is explaining how the bums of the city came in large numbers and
were as unnecessary as the mounds of trash buildup there is when the
sanitation workers go on strike.
Imagery Page 133 states, For before him lay an expanse of deep water that
stretched out so far it touched the dome of the sky. So huge was this pond that the
water actually rolled in waves! It rippled like a deep green sheet toward the end of
the universe; it leaped at the sand both angrily and playfully at the same time,
shattering and retreating, only to leap again and again.
a. This is an example of vivid imagery because it is describing the beach using
the senses.
b. This example explains how truly breath-taking this view was for Talon, who
never imagined the topside to look like this.