The Member of the Wedding #2

"Her right eye was dark and sad" (McCullers, 5).

This quote exhibits McCullers use of personification. The excerpt describes the one remaining real eye of the protagonists Frankie's maid, Berenice. The description of Berenice's eye as sad strategically attributes human emotions to it. Serving to magnify the actual sentiments of Berenice, this tool mirrors the maids own sadness regarding certain aspects of her life. Furthermore, the "dark and sad eye" serves to foreshadow the emotions affiliated with the recounting of the story regarding Berenice's left, glass eye, and how this ailment occurred. Although on the surface Berenice does not appear to be an unhappy or cynical individual, this personification serves to illuminate the darkness she has overcome and with which she may still struggle.