Marshall Silently Ate Alone (Visual Imagery)
In the novel's opening scene, the point of view stays mainly with Tamaya as she interacts with her friends. The first chapter ends on an image that contrasts with Tamaya's experiences. Sachar writes: "Across the lunchroom, Marshall Walsh sat amid a bunch of kids, all laughing and talking loudly. On one side of Marshall sat one group. On his other side sat a different group. Between these two groups, Marshall silently ate alone." In this example of visual imagery, Sachar draws the reader's attention to Marshall's isolation by describing how he sits alone while surrounded by rambunctious groups of fellow students.
Heard Something Crackle (Auditory Imagery)
While moving through the woods with Marshall, Tamaya continually checks behind her, sensing that they are being followed. With her senses on high alert, her mind plays tricks on her. Sachar writes: "She heard something crackle behind her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there." In this example of auditory imagery, Sachar injects tension into the story by immersing the reader in Tamaya's paranoid mindset as she reacts to every minor sound.
Fuzzy Mud (Visual Imagery)
When crossing the woods, Marshall and Tamaya find that the "shortcut" isn't working out as planned. While Marshall climbs a cliff to get a better view of the area, Tamaya rests on the ground. She notices something peculiar about the mud in front of her: "The mud was dark and tar-like. Just above the surface, almost as if it were suspended in midair, there was a fuzzy yellowish-brown scum. Something else struck her as strange about the fuzzy mud, although it took her a moment to realize what it was. There were no leaves on top of the mud. Leaves had fallen everywhere else. They completely surrounded the mud puddle, right up to its edges, but for some reason, no leaves had landed on top of it." In this example of visual imagery, Sachar uses extensive detail to draw the reader's attention to the mud's eerie, otherworldly quality.
Toothpaste and Coffee (Olfactory Imagery)
The morning after touching the fuzzy mud in the forest, Tamaya wakes up to find that her rash hasn't healed overnight. When she shows her hand to her mother, Tamaya notices that "her mother’s breath smell[s] like toothpaste and coffee." In this example of olfactory imagery, Sachar immerses the reader in Tamaya's sensory experience by detailing the distinct early morning combination of coffee and toothpaste on her mother's breath.
