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One Mile Of Ice Short Story

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In the short story, “One Mile of Ice” the author’s use of description of the setting as a cruel, unyielding entity emphasizes the extent to which the protagonists underestimate its destructive powers. The first way in which the author personifies the setting is through the wind. The wind is described as “moaning”, “scratching”, “screaming” and is even said to “[pluck] at their clothes” (Garner 18, 19). The author’s attribution of human qualities to a natural element compares the wind’s brutality to well known characteristics of mankind, thus accentuating the protagonists underestimation of the settings ferocity. Similes are also used to illustrate the barbarity of the setting. During the protagonists’ excursion, the snow is said to “[cut]

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