Analysis of Use of Imagery on “A View from the Bridge”

The essay, “A View from the Bridge” by McDonald, presents a narrative on the experience of a jogger meeting a blind boy near the bridge. The boy called out for the jogger’s help in getting the shrimp to use as a bait to catch a fish. At first, the jogger could not understand why the boy was asking for his help while whatever he wanted was on his feet. He was later more eager to assist the boy after realizing that he was blind. This paper will carry out an analysis on how the author uses imagery to provide a detailed description of the experience. 

There is the use of imagery in the description of the boy as, “lumpy little guy with baggy shorts, a faded T-shirt and heavy sweat socks falling down over his old sneakers.” (McDonald 1). From this statement, the author helps the reader create a vivid mental picture of the boy that the jogger encountered. Imagery can be identified in the description of the guy, shorts, T-shirt, socks, and sneakers. The use of imagery here is so clear that the reader is in a position of assessing the social class that the boys fall in. The description used by the narrator can be interpreted as a negative attitude that the jogger had formed right from the initial point of his encounter. The boy is further described as having ‘shaggy blond hair” and “Stupid-looking 50s style wrap-around sunglasses (McDonald 1). From the imagery used to describe the boy, it is clear that the jogger was not eager to interact with the boy.  The imagery sets the pace of the essay as the mental picture created is that of a boy who is apparently from a humble background and may be in dire need of help. Indeed the boy needed help, but as one gets deep into the essay realization sets in that he needs a different kind of help.

Work Cited

McDonald, Cherokee Paul. “A View from the Bridge.” Short Essays for Composition (2003): 124.