The imagery of Sight
The narrator depicts the sense of sight to the reader when she describes the condition of the underwater in which the brave women who oppose male dogmatism live. She writes, “Colors down there are more violent than any produced by the sun. I live in the roots and heads of trees.” Desdemona refuses to accept her predetermined fate that she is born to suffer simply because she is born a girl. She explains that she is different from those women who have been brainwashed by men to believe in the inhumane culture that subject women to misery throughout their life. She is ready to join the underwater women to execute a revolution against the existing demeaning culture. She paints a picture of the forces present in the underwater reaches when she explains that the colors down there are more violent than the sun's rays.
The Imagery of Hearing
Morrison illustrates the sense of hearing to readers when he describes the events that took place before and after Desdemona tossed her slippers and wet her dress in the pond. After realizing that she had done something wrong due to her carelessness, Desdemona unleashed a loud laughter that caught the attention of her strict mother. She says, “My unleashed laughter was long and loud. The unseemliness of such behavior of a girl less than one decade brought my mother’s attention.” When Desdemona’s mother came out to see what was happening, she rebuked for such sloppiness. This imagery brings out the true character of Desdemona’s mother of giving out punishments whenever any wrong is committed by her daughter.
The Imagery of the speaking gods
Desdemona finds new hope in Barbary who is fond of telling her stories of the speaking gods in other countries. The imagery of the speaking gods depicts the sense of hearing to the readers. She writes, “Barbary alone conspired with me to let my imagination run free. She told me stories of other countries where gods speak in thundering silence and mimic human silence and forms.” These stories remind Desdemona that in other countries where gods speak with thunder women are not unbending like her country.
