Long Island
The narrator uses imagery to show readers the hopeless environment Bonner comes from. The author writes, "All Jacob Finch Bonner ever wanted to be a writer. Ever, ever, ever, all the way back to suburban Long Island, which was the last place on earth a serious artist of any kind ought to come from but where he, nonetheless, had been cursed to grow up, the only child of a tax attorney and a high school guidance counselor." The imagery is important because it represents Bonner's optimism and determination. Bonner's primary goal in life is to become a writer, and nothing can stop him, even if many think he is cursed.
Richard Peng desk
Bonner’s hard work and determination to excel are shown through a sense of sight. The author writes, “He turned on the standard Richard Peng desk lamp and sat down in the standard Richard Peng office chair, which gave a loud squeak as he did, then he spent a long moment tracing a line of grime along the ridge of the cinderblocks on the wall beside his office door, delaying till the last possible moment the long and deeply unpleasant evening that was about to commence.” The imagery is imperative because it represents Bonner's optimism and fortitude to work long hours to fulfill his writing career. Bonner knows that to succeed, he must spend sleepless nights perusing literature extensively to develop a book that can make him successful.
The barbeque
Bonner's new working environment is pretty, and the author makes the image of the barbeque vivid using imagery. The author writes, "The barbeque was held on the college green, surrounded by the Ripley's earliest buildings, which –unlike Richard Peng Hall-were reassuringly collegiate and very pretty." The imagery is significant because it shows Bonner's new status, as demonstrated by the new working environment. In this working area, Bonner re-energizes his passion for becoming a famous writer.
