Connelly begins to employ imagery to portray the setting. He elucidates the "little village of San Martin Comitan" through his diction. The village lies "draped like a wrinkled quilt" that is set "over the sharp ravines that scored the floor of the valley." The use of the simile strengthens the image of the village. The picturesque scene stretches from the "gently sloping patches of tile roofs" to the "eastern rim of the Sierra Madre." Furthermore, the sky filled with "dark, gray clouds" runs along the "ruby lining." This image creates a picture in the mind by using colorful diction that enhances Connelly's descriptions. The image also symbolizes events to happen in the novel. The dark-colored sky foreshadows the dark misery when the deaths of the boys occur. The image produces a feeling of hop

elessness. The words "dark," "black," and "gray," not only improve the image but also set the tone. The feeling of despair and of hopelessness lingers amongst the "blanket of fog" that spans "through the village and up the valley." The clouds and fog, again, underline the pending adversities to come. The "ruby lining" of the sky symbolizes the bloodshed from the murders. Again, the colorful word choice accurately parallels the events in the novel.

Connelly fully incorporates a story enhanced by imagery and symbols. Through colorful, strong diction, eloquent similes, and vibrant descriptions, Connelly generates drama, suspense, tragedy, grief, and eventually a new understanding regarding the death of five young men. The numerous images relate to the tale, but they do not eliminate any other important aspects of Connelly's intentions. Even with the illustrative images, the beauty of the scenery does not take away from the event at hand, death. The images and symbols underline the shifting tones and attitudes expressed as the events unfurl. Lasting impressions and reminiscences regarding the novel directly result from the images, and "what can a man say to something like that, and what's a man supposed to do?"

An overall scene of pity envelops immediately foll

Some common words found in the essay are:
Madre Furthermore, Martin Comitan, Bennett Connelly, Sign Symbolism, Requiem Guatemala, image image, morning sun, descriptions connelly, ruby lining, vivid descriptions, death boys,
Approximate Word count = 864
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)