In the Skin of a Lion

1. The most beautiful passage that I found in this passage is at the end of chapter one. This is the part where Patrick, as a young child, follows a rare winter moth outside of this house and explores the nature that surrounds him. The numerous literary devices - particularly imagery and symbol - add to the beauty of the passage.
First, from the beginning the a blue moth is introduced in the passage. This color goes along with the darkness that is portrayed in the very same sentence. Then, as Patrick tries to follow the moth, he brings his kereosene lamp. The kereosene lamp gives a picture of a dim light gently crossing across the darkness of the countryside. He later encounters lightning bugs which is a parallel picture to the light that is shown from the lamp. The lights of the moon is then shown with its light reflecting against the whitness of the snow. The very image adds to the crispy cold air described in this setting and emphasizes the vastness of nature. From there, another parallel imagery is shown which is the light reflecting off from the ice. Again, it is a beautiful color of winter. From there, Patrick witnesses ten men skating and having fun. It is interesting to note that he just silently watches the men play and listen to their joyous laughter. To me, it was a foreshadow of Patrick's life and fate that was to be unfolded later in the book. Also, Patrick's river - a symbol of his life - is introduced which also makes this passage crucial.