We Were The Mulvany Passage Analysis

The passage from the uncanny novel We Were the Mulvany’s by Joyce Carol Oates is in the point of view of a young Judd Mulvany. Oates uses may different literary techniques to characterize Judd as a youthful and observant boy who soon realizes that life soon come to an end. The literary techniques Oates uses to characterize Judd are imagery and anaphora. Oates uses imagery to convince the reader that Judd has juvenile thoughts but soon realizes that life comes to an end. Judd says he was “staring down into the water. Fast-flowing clear water , shallow , shale beneath , and lots of leaves.” (2-3). Oates is using visual imagery to make Judd a childish person. This shows that Judd thinks that life is all happy and about loving the things around you, but in reality that isn’t what life is at all. Judd later starts talking about the reality of life by talking about the trees as he says “when dry yellow leaves don’t fall from a tree the tree is partly dead.” (27 - 28). As Judd starts seeing everything die around him, he starts to compare how every
Judd loves the beat of his heart as he says “aware of my heart beating ONEtwothree ONEtwothree!” (20 - 21). But then he thinks about the beats of his heart and repeats “Every heartbeat is past and one! Every heartbeat is past and gone! A chill came over me, i began to shiver.” (21 - 22). When Judd thought about his heart he became aware that every heartbeat you have, the closer you are to death. Nobody wants to think that way, but Judd knows it’s the truth. Near the end of the passage Judd starts talking about his older brother and Father, as he says “ Them too. All of them. Every heartbeat past and gone.” (59 - 60). Judd had plenty of time to collect all of the things he comprehended throughout the day to know that not just his life will end but everybody else’s will end as