Madeleine Roux The Asylum Summary

Madeleine Roux uses imagery to develop the plot of Asylum. Imagery is powerful descriptive information used in most stories to convey the feeling of the situation, and deeply describes what is taking place, allowing the ready to visualize what is happening. One example is stated here “... bookcases and filing cabinets crowding around… pile and piles of loose papers… picture showed a woman restrained on a table… The photographs were horrible…” Roux, 35,36. This was when Dan, Jordan, and Abby had first gone into the locked part of the asylum. The description of what they saw built suspense and drew the readers into the story, captivating their minds and setting up the story for more suspenseful encounters. Another example of imagery is exemplified
here “... the cold and moldy smell grew stronger with every step… file cabinets lay strew across the floor…” Roux, 103,104. This event took place when the three friends discovered the secret passageway leading down stairs. The reader could have seen through the characters eyes due to the detailed description of the account, and kept them inclined to finish the story. A last example of imagery is portrayed here “...he stumbled, nearly colliding with the lump on the stairwell….the shape was bigger...it was human…Yi....” Roux, 221 The author describes the event of Dan finding Yi on the stairwell with suspense and tension, while the reader is trying to guess who was on the stairwell. The reader can see through Dan’s eyes as he finds Yi, and they can feel the terror as he considers if he is dead or not. The use of imagery by Madeleine Roux in Asylum develops the plot and allows the readers to form their own conclusion of different events.