Katherine Applegate Figurative Language Essay

Have you ever visited a different country and felt like a complete alien? Well, how would you feel if you were to move there, forever? The novel, Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate is the story of how a young refugee from war-torn Sudan learns to adjust to a new life in America with the help of friends and family. Katherine Applegate’s use of figurative language, first person point of view, and free verse poetry is the most effective way to reveal the story of a refugee adapting to life in America.
Applegate’s effective style can be seen through her use of figurative language. This point can be seen in the novel when Kek has a flashback of when he is at the refugee camp in Sudan and loses his mom. He recalls, “The gunfire is almost
This point can be seen in the novel when Kek confesses to Ganwar that he left his mom behind in order to save himself after having a terrible flashback. Ganwar tries to comfort Kek by revealing that he also has nightmares, but Kek doesn’t think Ganwar understands how shameful he feels about his actions. Kek sobs, “Because mine has truth in it… because in mine I leave Mama and run” (Applegate 202). This is an example of Applegate’s effective style because it reveals how the perspective Applegate writes through conveys emotion to the reader and helps readers better relate to Kek’s feelings. Readers are given a “trip” inside the character’s head, where the audience is able to create a connection to the character. Additionally, by allowing the Kek to tell the story through his own eyes better helps develop his character. Through Kek’s word choice, tone, and vocabulary, readers can get to know Kek’s personality. As can be seen, since it helps readers better identify with Kek’s feelings and builds characterization, Applegate’s use of first person point of view effectively tells the