"He needed a shock; or perhaps he required to take a deep, deep plunge into the ocean of human life, and to sink down and be covered by its profoundness, and then to emerge, sobered, invigorated, restored to the world and himself. Perhaps, again, he required nothing less than the great final remedy - death" (Hawthorne 170)!
This passage from the novel is pretty beautiful and insightful in its choice of language and its effect on the reader. Hawthorne measures his diction carefully as to pack a heavy emotional and intellectual punch with this passage. By depicting life through a grandiloquent metaphor and using deliberate, descriptive diction, Hawthorne conveys a meaningful, weighty lesson about how it feels to be truly alive and inspired.
Prior to this passage's appearance in the novel, Clifford and Phoebe had been relaxing by the House's arched window and watching people go by. Clifford then gets a tad emotional and contemplates jumping out of the arched window, which is when this passage occurs. What Clifford's saying, in simpler terms, is that he needs to face death or have a near-death experience to truly feel alive. This statement is presented to the reader as somewhat of an extended metaphor, comparing life to an ocean - an ocean that he wants to swallow him alive as to refresh his state of being. He wants life to feel like it has meaning again, for life without meaning as akin to living just to breathe.
In addition to this clever metaphor intertwined within the syntax, Hawthorne arranges his precise, descriptive diction. Hawthorne uses verbs like "plunge" and "emerge" to create an image of being enveloped by something completely. He also uses powerful adjectives such as "sobered", "invigorated", and "restored" to create a certain sense of being awake and aware of one's own existence. It's as if Hawthorne is crafting his language as such to get his honest point across without having to elaborate any further. Through the use of these vivid words, Hawthorne captures a sense of ultimate awareness and spiritual refreshment.
This passage's impact is metaphorically an intellectual punch in the face. Hawthorne sticks this insightful outlook on being alive in the novel to in a way signal a kind of verisimilitude, for it is very much a deep, true fact about life. If one has no appreciation for life and being aware of existence, then there is no true point in living. In death, or fear of it, one can find themselves invigorated and more appreciative of life itself. Hawthorne crafts this passage not only to make a point to the characters in the novel, but to also make a point to the audience, with precise and vivid diction as well as the oceanic metaphor.
Prior to this passage's appearance in the novel, Clifford and Phoebe had been relaxing by the House's arched window and watching people go by. Clifford then gets a tad emotional and contemplates jumping out of the arched window, which is when this passage occurs. What Clifford's saying, in simpler terms, is that he needs to face death or have a near-death experience to truly feel alive. This statement is presented to the reader as somewhat of an extended metaphor, comparing life to an ocean - an ocean that he wants to swallow him alive as to refresh his state of being. He wants life to feel like it has meaning again, for life without meaning as akin to living just to breathe.
In addition to this clever metaphor intertwined within the syntax, Hawthorne arranges his precise, descriptive diction. Hawthorne uses verbs like "plunge" and "emerge" to create an image of being enveloped by something completely. He also uses powerful adjectives such as "sobered", "invigorated", and "restored" to create a certain sense of being awake and aware of one's own existence. It's as if Hawthorne is crafting his language as such to get his honest point across without having to elaborate any further. Through the use of these vivid words, Hawthorne captures a sense of ultimate awareness and spiritual refreshment.
This passage's impact is metaphorically an intellectual punch in the face. Hawthorne sticks this insightful outlook on being alive in the novel to in a way signal a kind of verisimilitude, for it is very much a deep, true fact about life. If one has no appreciation for life and being aware of existence, then there is no true point in living. In death, or fear of it, one can find themselves invigorated and more appreciative of life itself. Hawthorne crafts this passage not only to make a point to the characters in the novel, but to also make a point to the audience, with precise and vivid diction as well as the oceanic metaphor.
Word Count: 400
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