Her First Ball
In the short story "Her First Ball," the setting and imagery throughout the story help convey the message of the novel through its main character, Leila. Written with Leila as the central focus, the reader can clearly see the lively youth of Leila, and her desire to experience life while she could through her vivid descriptions of her surroundings. The setting allowed the reader to understand the way Leila viewed the world; thus at the end of the story, it is not so shocking to the audience when she ignores the warnings of the old man and decides to live her life fully. From the first paragraph, the setting is described as it is seen through Leila's eyes. She sits in the corner of the taxi, as "...they bowled, past waltzing lampposts and houses and fences and trees" (1). The repeated use of the conjunction, and, shows Leila's eagerness and excitement for her first ball. Also, the "waltzing lampposts" allow the reader to already imagine the ball, filled with dancing. Leila's longing to attend the ball is obvious through this first description. Even before actually arriving at the ball, she cannot help herself from her fascination and enchantment with attending such a luxurious, fantastic occasion. Later in the cab, she describe
The night continues on, and during the middle of the ball, she begins to compare her first ball to a dance at her boarding school she attended every Saturday. She notes the difference between the "...dusty smelling hall-with calico texts on the walls...if her partner didn't come and had to listen to that marvelous music and to watch the others sliding, gliding over the gold floor, she would die at least, or faint..." (21). The anxiety she felt as a child at the boarding school no longer exists within her. At this ball, she is able to float "...like a flower that [was] tossed into a pool..." (23). The setting truly reveals how everything at the ball seems to be flawless; also, Leila's flashback shows that although she was once too young to enjoy this sort of an occasion, she has finally reached the age to be free, have fun, and explore the world around her. She is finally old enough to do as she pleases, but not so old that her livelihood has faded whatsoever. s the road being "bright on either side with moving fan-like lights, and on the pavement gay couples seemed to float through the air..." (7). In this scene, her adventure reaches the second phase; her description reveals how she is so intrigued by every detail of the ball. Such an intense thrill from just arriving at the ball foreshadows her disregard of the old man's warning later in the novel. The setting in "Her First Bal
Some common words found in the essay are:
Written Leila, , man's warning, reader imagine, arriving ball, boarding school, waltzing lampposts, aspect ball,
Approximate Word count = 941
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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