Literary Devices in Rain Essay

The satirical tale Rain, re-tells the famous story Noahs Ark, a famous story about a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis. Through the use of narrative and language conventions the author is able to perceive the main character, Noahs wife as a strong independent, woman, whose talents are dimed due to the spotlight shined on her husband Noah. Rain presents a completely different point of view that challenges the absolute correctness of her husband and of God. The tale also allows the readers to gain an alternate perspective that is more three-dimensional and fare, enabling them to see the contrasting interpretations.

The contrasting use of characterization in both versions of the story magnifies the patriarchal values that society possessed. Through the use of Noahs wife s character, the reader is able to challenge the main ideas presented in the original story. In the tale found in the bible, the readers are positioned to see Noah as a kind, heroic man who follows Gods commands in order to refine the world, which gives us a positive impression. In the satire Rain, Noah is presented as a selfish man who does not care for the fact that many will not survive the floods.

The use of third person omniscient in the story positions allows the reader to feel a sense of sorrow towards the wife as she is portrayed as societies typical woman. In the original story of Noahs Ark, Noah is portrayed as a brave and heroic man who gained admiration from many through his courageous actions. This leads to the readers forgetting about the other characters and focusing our attention on the hero, Noah. This introduces the issue of gender roles and expectation in society. It is considered socially appropriate for woman to stand back and support their husbands as they worked and provided for them. This is highlighted in the story when Noahs wife says Knew a straight angle and was better then him or his sons at getting it a join to fit watertight. But Noah had kept the ark to himself, telling her to keep to the kitchen. This shows that although Noahs wife is an excellent carpenter and could improve the quality and safety of the ship, benefiting and insuring the well being of those aboard the ark, Noahs does not want anyone else to outshine him.

The satirical tone used in the story gives the impression that the story was written by a male author. Although the story communicates many issues such as gender roles in society, the mocking tone used gives the reader a sense that he believes otherwise. This is shown through the use of representation in the story. The character of Noahs wife, although strong, she is very boastful and shows many of the stereotypical characteristics that woman possess. This was also shown towards the ending of the tale, when the author describes the woman with their cats. This gives the readers the impression of a crazy alone woman.

The many techniques used in the satire Rain enables the author to express the subliminal issues that the original version of Noahs Ark presented. The readers can see the contrasting point of view and the get a perspective that would be considered to be more fair. Many of the conventions used, allowed juxtaposition between both stories, making the reader question the values even more.