He was staring into the freezer like it was frickin Narnia!!

This blog is about description of character. It is also going to be short because this is finals week =)
I love the type of description in this blogs title. I prefer to make metaphors as opposed to spending lots of time trying to describe something in detail. I find it both immensely helpful and efficient when you use something that people already know to give an example of what you are trying to convey. If I was to say that the man was looking into the freezer, the first thing that I would picture is a man standing in his dark and dreary kitchen, wearing baggy clothes and disheveled hair, all the while staring longingly into the freezer for something that isn’t there, something that would make his life worth living. Now, if I said that the man was staring into the freezer with gumption, I would imagine a slightly younger man than before, wearing clothes more suited to someone who actually goes out into the sun during the day and hair that isn’t disheveled from lack of concern, but perhaps from an afternoon jog. This man would also be staring into his freezer in the dark, but this time because the lights are out and he is searching for the ice-cream to eat while he watches his movie.  However….If I was to say that the man was staring into his freezer like it was frickin Narnia….that adds a whole new world of perspective on the subject. This guy is standing in his boxers. He has just gotten up from his sleep and gone to look for a midnight snack. Only what he finds in his freezer is so much more. He is looking enthusiastically into his chilly snack harboring machine, only to find that his frozen treat is missing, and in its stead is a man goat. This man’s hair is also disheveled but this time it’s from the arctic wind that rushed out of his ice box and into his face. This guy is now so excited that he is having trouble catching his breath, and doesn’t notice how cold he is. He is both angry for the loss of his snack and trembling with enthusiasm to explore this new world. Now he just needs to figure out how he’s going to get into the freezer without breaking something. Really...who would pass up the chance to explore Narnia??
This kind of description is particularly useful when describing the anti-hero. Enter Captain Jack Sparrow. He’s the guy that everyone should hate, and he should be the bad guy. But he ends up becoming the hero because of his charm and his unique quirks. If I was to try and describe this guy in detail, I might say that he is clumsy. When in actuality he isn’t so, he is just lucky. I could spend some long winded conversation trying to accurately describe this person, or I could use examples and metaphors, allowing my audience to come to their own conclusions, just as they would with anyone they might meet in real life. Another very effective tool is to show the reader who this person is through actions as opposed to words (no pun intended). This would, in my opinion, create a more accurate personification as well as a more personal one. Allowing the reader to feel a closer and more emotional connection with the character because they really know them, it didn’t have to be explained.

This post I am reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, by Lewis Carrol


"There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying."  ~Josh Billings