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Literary Elements in I Used to Live Here Once

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Literary Elements in I Used To Live Here Once “I Used To Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys is a short story about a woman who has died and is visiting the home where she once lived. In the story the woman does not realize she is dead until the end of the story. The main theme of the story is death. The author, Jean Rhys, uses symbols, the plot, and the point of view to lead us through the woman's journey of realizing she is dead. “I Used To Live Here Once” is a short story written in limited omniscient point of view. With this point of view the author only shows the feeling and expression of the one character (Clugston, 2010). The character the author describes is the woman that has died. This point of view relates to the overall theme, which is death. Using this point of view, along with the symbols, shows us the woman has died and the way she is experiencing death. Throughout the story, the author uses many symbols to show the woman is on a journey after she has died. One of the symbols Jean Rhys uses is when the woman is crossing a river. When one dies they cross over into the after life. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses in the story is the glassy sky. The glassy sky can be seen as a reflection of the woman's life up until the time she died. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses is the stepping stones. The stepping stones could represent the woman's walk through life. The ups and downs, the good and bad aspects she encountered in her life are the stepping stones. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses in the story is when when the children began to feel cold. The cold feeling the children had was from the dead woman standing near them. It has been known when there is sudden cold air, there is paranormal activity present. In the story “I Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys the plot is the woman visiting the home she lived at one time in her life. As the

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