Self-Reflection
This initial entry as well as all that follow in this series is narrated by a young woman named Lucy. "I was growing into a tall girl, strong-featured, thicker set than I’d have liked, with large eyes, heavy eyebrows, an over-long nose and sulky lips. I wasn’t pretty, but as my mother once said, prettiness wasn’t my profession." This imagery providing a physical description of the narrator does not show up until about halfway through the fifth chapter. That she has taken this long to describe herself—as well the description itself—say much about the psychology of the narrator. These words will take on new resonance when a much prettier new girl joins the agency and becomes, at least in her eyes, Lucy's rival.
George
As the first book in a planned series, one of the necessary functions of imagery is to cement a picture of the main characters in the mind of the reader. Such as that of George, the male half of the "and Co." at Lockwood. "With his glasses off, his eyes look small and weak...like an unintelligent sheep that’s taken a wrong turn. But put them on again, and they go all sharp and steely, more like the eyes of an eagle that eats dumb sheep for breakfast." This foundational use of imagery is very important in a series. The duality of George established here will be the centerpiece of his character throughout.
Setting the Atmosphere
In a book about ghost hunting, creating atmosphere through description of setting is vital. An example occurs early in the book. "Outside the window, the sun was gone. Faint clouds choked the blue-black sky, and mists had risen to engulf the garden. Beyond black hedges, lights shone in other houses." The first line is an example of the effectiveness of simplicity in imagery. Rather than simply saying it was nighttime, describing the scene as taking place with the sun being gone lends the setting a tone of mystery. The sky sounds like it has been menaced by the clouds. The addition of standard gothic touches like mists and distant lights completes the effect.
Meeting the Skull
Over the course of the series, a skull in a jar is, for many readers, the most memorable character. "I tapped the side of the glass; at once the smoke awoke, rippling outwards from the point of impact, becoming thicker, more granular, as it did so. As it separated, it revealed the object in the jar: a human skull, brown and stained." Imagery is used effectively to introduce this character, but in an understated way. It is an unpleasant description but offers no foreshadowing hints of the significance this skull will prove to have.
