Language

The language in“The Sampler” by Ira Victor Morris is easy to understand. Some of the sentences are relatively long, and the sentence structure is occasionally old-fashioned and formal. However, this doesn't stop a reader today from being able to understand the narrative.

As you have seen, there are several narrative and descriptive passages in the story, which are enhanced by the use of dialogue. The replies of each of the characters reveal clues about their personalities; for example, the narrator proves to be polite and understanding of the needs of others, although he misjudges how to respond; the shop girl comes across as kind towards the old man, while the old gentleman displays pride to hide his shame.

The author also uses a number of other linguistic devices and features, such as imagery, similes, and symbols, which we will outline below.

Imagery

Imagery is in general connected to the descriptive language used in literature. In “The Sampler”, visual imagery can be observed in the old man’s description, as he “was poorly but neatly dressed” (p. 95, ll. 21-22), ...

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Symbols

Two important symbols are worth mentioning in the story: the pudding and the appearance of the old man.

The pudding is the symbol of prosperity, of “prosperous-looking Christmas shoppers” (p. 96, l. 11) who can afford to buy what they want during the holidays.

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