This is a very broad question, and so for me I am going to
focus on one form of figurative language that is explored in this short story which is
symbolism. One of the central symbols of this story for me at least is the pump. This
pump and its unattainability seems to be a symbol of the real lack of compassion and
care of humanity in the face of suffering. Consider the following
passage:
In
the meanwhile, more television and movie teams arrived with spools of cable, tapes,
film, videos, precision lenses, recorders, sound consoles, lights, reflecting screens,
auxiliary motors, cartons of supplies, electricians, sound technicians, and cameramen:
Azucena's face was beamed to millioins of screens around the world. And all the while
Rolf Carle kept pleading for a
pump.
Note how a very short
and simple sentence is placed after a long sentence which lists all the sophisticated
technology that reporters bring with them. They are able to do incredible things thanks
to technology, but somehow bringing a pump to save Azucena eludes them. This contributes
to the somewhat sarcastic and despairing tone employed in this section as Allende
laments the inability of a technologically advanced world to save one
girl.
If you want to explore the symbolism in this short
story further, you might want to think about how Azucena herself is a symbol, as is the
camera that Rolf Carle uses to protect himself from the world and ultimately,
himself.
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