Vivid Imagery In Mary Karr's Still Memory

In “Still Memory”, Mary Karr uses vivid imagery to reflect on her childhood and understand how it shaped her into the adult she is today. Karr uses her dream to access the memories of her childhood locked in her subconscious. She revels in nostalgia as she sees her family again through the eyes of her ten-year-old self. She is especially emphatic about seeing her parents as she remembered them before their deaths, “my parents are not yet born each into a small urn of ash.” She recalls the familiar sounds and smells with fondness, “my house starts to throb in its old socket” and “coffee’s smoky odor” are two memories that relate directly to the author’s senses and provide clear imagery for the reader. The speaker is at peace as she experiences