Honors Prompt #1

At this point in the novel, Elizabeth Gilbert has used many techniques to further explain her memories to her readers. Rather than just telling the story, Gilbert shows us the story and lets us feel it for ourselves. She does this by using and experimenting with a variety of styles and methods. The most obvious and apparent technique, to me, is personification. For example, "Depression and Loneliness track me down after about ten days in Italy...." (46, Gilbert). With great intention, Gilbert has transformed the feelings of depression and loneliness into human beings and in fact, as she relates to them, detectives. "Depression on my left, Loneliness on my right." (47, Gilbert) Gilbert's use of placement is one of the main hints that she personally relates the two to people, not feelings. Continuing with the idea of personification and giving objects, or in this case feelings, real characteristics is greatly recognized through out the chapter. The use of personification not only shows the reader how passionately these feelings have followed her across seas, but it demonstrates Gilbert's creative, personable, and amusing writing style. Moreover, I have come to realize that the use of personification in ones writing makes the reader, in this case me, feel so connected to the author. Let me explain further. Everybody, at one point in our hectic lives, has felt both feelings, but have we recognized them as our own? With carful consideration of capitalization (Depression and Loneliness), Gilbert has made me so conscious of both feelings, as if they are so real, and feel so present like human beings do. She continues in this rather short chapter with a complete use of personification. It is as if she gives each feeling a soul, a purpose, a mind, characteristics, etc. And in fact, she does, yet more indirectly:

"I say to them, 'How did you find me here? Who told you I had come to rome?'

'Depression, always the wise guy, says 'What--you're not happy to see us?' 

'Go away,' I tell him.' 

'Loneliness, the more sensitive cop, says, 'I'm sorry ma'am. But I might have to tail you the whole time you're traveling. It's my assignment.'

'I'd really rather you didn't,' I tell him, and he shrugs almost apologetically, but only moves closer" 

In this short conversation between the three, the emotions behind the emotions that Gilbert feels, or felt, are vicariously shown through the rather clever dialect of both characters. Her true relationship with Depression (I will capitalize as I wish), is apparent with his arrogant and, for lack of a better word, wise-ass response. That being said, her relationship with Loneliness, is a little bit more endearing. This is better proclaimed in the last sentence of the chapter. "Loneliness watches and sighs, then climbs into my bed and pulls the covers over himself, fully dressed, shoes and all. He's going to make me sleep with him again tonight, I just know it." (48, Gilbert) The tone in these few sentences is an apparent shift in emotion. Gilbert's thoughts seems more genuine, or even yet another sign of internal vulnerability. Without directly stating her response to the presence of both Depression and Loneliness, Gilbert uses personification, as well as dialect, to illustrate her rather ambivalent feelings toward both personalities. 

Another evident strategy to further enforce the author’s message is the use of metaphors and similes. Gilbert does not use these methods a whole lot in this chapter, but she definitely includes a few here and there to support her intentions. "{Loneliness and Depression} come upon me all silent and menacing like Pinkerton Detectives" (46, Gilbert) The purpose of this comparison is to go even deeper in the personification of the two emotions. The constant reference to this same idea of personification only strengthens the method and paints the image of both Depression and Loneliness as two individual human beings, and nothing less.

In the middle of the chapter, Gilbert begins to explain specific examples of the questions she is interrogated with. "He asks is I have any reason to be happy that I know of. He asks why I am all by myself tonight, yet again. He asks (though we've been through this line of questioning hundreds of times already) why I can't keep a relationship going, why I ruined my marriage, why I messed things up with David, why I messed things up with every man I've ever been with....." (47, Gilbert) This part of the chapter, I believe, is the most revealing. Let me break it down. This novel is about self discovery, and every single person who jumps into it, even with no previous knowledge, can grasp that concept by simply reading the cursive at the bottom on the front cover. However, up until now, all we as readers have read, is nothing about Gilbert finding herself, and truth be told, it still isn't. But not until now have we even seen traces sincere acknowledgment of the real purpose Elizabeth Gilbert is even in Italy. Figuratively speaking, we all want the personification of both Depression and Loneliness to jump out of the page and into our hearts and our minds and even our souls, soak up out doubts, smoke the cigars of self-discovery, mold to our own personalities and aspirations and ask us the same damn questions Elizabeth Gilbert was asked that night, on the stroll back to her roman home, well because, we cant seem to admit it our selves. Gilbert is just one in the same. Honest with herself, she knows that admitting her downfalls is the first step to her spiritual, and therefore, literal recovery, and this method of forcing out her own realizations into somebody else's mouth, is what her true and sincere objective is, or was. The personification of her two most pronounced emotions on that very day has given the reader, me, a more vulnerable and honest, yet completely indirect, image of her own self, and in writing it, has given her the same. This chapter defines Gilbert's purpose. Let me repeat that. This chapter defines Gilbert's purpose. 

Side Note: When I read this, my mind stood up and slapped herself in the face. Why? Well because, it is really simple. The feelings are so relevant and apparent, maybe not to the extremes or for the same reasons, but oh, they are there. Trust me. I must admit my vulnerability in reading this novel and acknowledge it too, and I am, I think. My mind has sat back down and is now icing her cheek bones and busted lip, but she deserved a little slap, just to wake up and realize that maybe, I even need two emotional personalities to tell me what the hell I am destined to do next, don't you?