And from Clay We Are Created (Literary Analysis)

Personification

• "Deaf to the moaning of the earth."
• "Sorda al gemido de la tierra."

>>> This relates the blindsiding of the warning signs that the seismologists had made public knowledge. They blocked out the activities of the earth beneath them until it eventually erupted.

Personification

Allusion

Allusion

• The title of the story "And of Clay We Are Created" refers to God's creation of man in Genesis. This can also go had in hand with the common saying "From dust we come and to dust we shall return".

Situational Irony

As we get closer and closer to the end of the story, more newscasters arrive to the scene along with their high-tech equipment in order to broadcast the tragedy. However, Azucena was still unable to receive the water pump to enable her freedom. This shows the irony of her situation as the high-tech equipment was able to make it to her but a simple water pump was not.

Situational Irony

PARADOX

Paradox

• "You are back with me but you are not the same man"
• "Has vuelto conmigo pero no eres el mismo hombre"

>>> The fact that Rolf Carle had returned was contradicted as he did not return as the same person mentally. This is because his experience with Azucena brought about a change in him.

SIMILE

Simile

• "Curling them like waves of foam"
• Curvándolos como olas de espuma "

>>> This gives us an insight into the effect of the avalanche on its surrounding as it would have to be quite intense in order for it to be compared to waves.

• "They sounded like the tales of frightened women"
• "Se hundió lentamente, como una flor en el barro"

>>> Relating to the warning cries of the seismologists before the volcano erruption, no one heeded their claims and thus were merely compared to frightened women who were spreading their tales and beliefs.

FORESHADOWING

Foreshadowing

• "... sin sospechar que encontraría un fragmento de su pasado, perdido treinta años antes."
• "... never suspecting that he would find a fragment of his past, lost thirty years before."

>>>>The foreshadowing present in this example preceeds the rush of memories that return to Rolf Carle and alludes to his time supposedly spent in the army in his younger years. The situation he is currently facing with Azucena has caused him to relate to his previous years and think about some of the wonders and faults the world has to offer that Azucena may not be able to experience.

IMAGERY

Imagery

• ".... Buried them beneath unfathomable meters of telluric vomit"
• ".... Los enterró bajo metros insondables de vómito telúrico"

>>> This allows us to have a better insight into the devastating effects of the eruption with the mass amounts of rubble.

• "....vieron que desaparecieron casas, plazas, iglesias, plantaciones de algodón blanco, bosques oscuros de café, pastos de ganado"
• "....they could see that houses, plazas, churches, white cotton plantation, dark coffee forests, cattle pastures all disappeared"

>>>The author uses imagery in this example in order to relay to the change of environment in the once filled city caused by the erruption.