Imagery in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil :: Midnight Garden Good Evil

Imagery in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil One of the most stunningly powerful features of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is the vivid imagery used hroughout the book. Berendt has a way of making everything he writes about come to life. The reader doesn't merely read about Savannah, he lives it. The characters that are represented in the book come to life as the book progresses. Their actions take form before the audience's eyes. The characters are not, however, the only things brought to life by Berendt's vivid style. Savannah itself becomes real to the reader. The detailed settings make the city more than just a background for the story. It is an integral part of the tale. All of these aspects come together to make Midnight less of a book and more of an experience. The story relayed by Berendt in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is filled to the brim with interesting characters. What makes them even more interesting to the reader is the knowledge that they are, at least for the most part, actually real-life characters. His descriptions of these people and their characteristics are so detailed that after reading only two or three pages about someone, the reader begins to feel as if she knows the person. The vivid descriptions are extremely detailed. "She had both hands on her hips and a sassy half-smile on her face as if she had been waiting for me" (Berendt 96). This is just a small portion of Berendt's opening description of Chablis, the drag queen of the book. Berendt also brings these people to life through their behaviors. A perfect example of this method is the character of Danny Hansford. The descriptions of Danny's behavior are so vivid that it is hard to think of him as a character in a book. Everything from Danny's walk to his v iolent fits of rage are represented with great detail. The imagery associated with Savannah itself is nothing short of astounding. The squares that populate Savannah, the houses in the area, and even the town cemetery are presented with wonderful detail. At one point Berendt speaks of James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, and the fact that Oglethorpe had the squares planned before he had set sail from England. The layout was to be "based on the design of a Roman military encampment. Imagery in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil :: Midnight Garden Good Evil Imagery in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil One of the most stunningly powerful features of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is the vivid imagery used hroughout the book. Berendt has a way of making everything he writes about come to life. The reader doesn't merely read about Savannah, he lives it. The characters that are represented in the book come to life as the book progresses. Their actions take form before the audience's eyes. The characters are not, however, the only things brought to life by Berendt's vivid style. Savannah itself becomes real to the reader. The detailed settings make the city more than just a background for the story. It is an integral part of the tale. All of these aspects come together to make Midnight less of a book and more of an experience. The story relayed by Berendt in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is filled to the brim with interesting characters. What makes them even more interesting to the reader is the knowledge that they are, at least for the most part, actually real-life characters. His descriptions of these people and their characteristics are so detailed that after reading only two or three pages about someone, the reader begins to feel as if she knows the person. The vivid descriptions are extremely detailed. "She had both hands on her hips and a sassy half-smile on her face as if she had been waiting for me" (Berendt 96). This is just a small portion of Berendt's opening description of Chablis, the drag queen of the book. Berendt also brings these people to life through their behaviors. A perfect example of this method is the character of Danny Hansford. The descriptions of Danny's behavior are so vivid that it is hard to think of him as a character in a book. Everything from Danny's walk to his v iolent fits of rage are represented with great detail. The imagery associated with Savannah itself is nothing short of astounding. The squares that populate Savannah, the houses in the area, and even the town cemetery are presented with wonderful detail. At one point Berendt speaks of James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, and the fact that Oglethorpe had the squares planned before he had set sail from England. The layout was to be "based on the design of a Roman military encampment.