Romantic Light on the Block (Visual Imagery)
Zauner describes a morning before she departed for Seoul in the following way: "It was early and the sun was just beginning to come up, casting a romantic light on our dingy block, empty cartons of Arctic Splash swept into piles of fallen leaves, the Little League field enclosed in its high chain-link fence." This use of visual imagery shows how the "romantic light" of that particular morning rendered their otherwise unremarkable neighborhood beautiful.
Grieving Wail (Auditory Imagery)
While attempting to dress her mother's body, Zauner writes that she "let out a wail so full of anguish, neither Peter or my father dared to enter." This auditory imagery suggests both the intensity of her grief as well as the intelligible "anguish" in the sound she makes.
A Gripped Heart (Haptic Imagery)
When Zauner's father tells her that her mother is ill, she says "It felt like he'd pushed the length of his arm down my throat and was gripping my heart in his fist." This haptic imagery depicts the physical manifestation of her fear and sadness, as she feels as though her heart is literally being squeezed.
The Smell of Seoul (Olfactory Imagery)
Zauner says that as a child she enjoyed many things about Seoul. She writes: "I loved the humidity and the smell of the city, even when my mother told me it was just pollution." This slightly comedic olfactory imagery gives a sense of the city's pungent odor while also highlighting Zauner's affection for it.
