This document summarizes and provides examples of various literary and rhetorical devices found in a text, including similes, metaphors, personification, verbal irony, direct and indirect characterization, foreshadowing, external conflict, internal conflict, and irony. Each device is defined and an example is given from the text with the corresponding page number. The examples compare weariness to molten lead, stars to fire, and portray "everything" as dancing in order to illustrate similes, metaphors, and personification respectively.

1. Activity D2
Literary/Rhetorical Devices

2. Similes
 Page 16
“By eight o’clock weariness had settled into our veins like
molten lead.”
This is a simile because it is comparing the weariness they felt
to molten lead because it weighs down on their hearts.

3. Metaphors
 Page 21
“The stars were like sparks or an immense fire that were
consuming us.”
This is a metaphor because it is comparing the stars and fire
without using like or as.

4. Personification
 Page 84
"Around me everything was dancing a dance of death. It made
my head reel"
This is personification because it is personifying the pronoun
everything which isn't a human but giving it human
characteristics.

5. Verbal Irony
 Page 95
 "Why not, I like to give charity“
This was happening when Elie and his father were in the cattle
cart and men were throwing bread into the cart. It is ironic
because this generally innocent statement has a bad double
meaning.

6. Direct Characterization
 Page 13
 “ They called him Moche the Beadle- physically he was
awkward as a clown.”
 This is direct characterization because the author is
describing the character through the text.

7. Indirect Characterization
 Page 17
 “Poor fellow, he’s gone mad.”
 This is describing Moche the Beadle through dialogue which
makes it indirect and not directly from the author.

8. Foreshadowing
 Page 33
 “Fire! I can see a fire! I can see a fire!”
 This is Madame Schaffer foreshadowing the gas chambers
which will be in the concentration camps.

9. External Conflict
 Page 39
 “ You shut your trap, you filthy swine, or I’ll squash you right
now!”
 This is external conflict because the SS officers are
threatening to harm Elie and his father.

10. Internal Conflict
 Page 42
 “For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I
bless his name?”
 This is internal conflict because Elie is struggling with himself
to find faith in God during this horrible time.

11. Irony
 Page 53
 “I’m going to see them tomorrow. They’ll be sure to have
good news.” “We were not to see him again.”
 This is ironic because it was expected that his wife and
children were alive and that is what he was living for. It turns
out they were not so he stopped fighting to live.