66 pages • 2 hours read
The Signature of All Things
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Literary Devices
Omniscient Point of View
In a literary work, point of view describes the perspective of the narrator who is telling the story and has a profound impact on the tone of the story as a whole. Depending on the stylistic decision of the author, the narrator may either be a character in the story or a more distant and detached voice. The omniscient (“all-knowing”) point of view is a perspective that has access to the entire world of the story, not just the present action but potentially any moment in time. Sometimes called a God-like point of view, this perspective can also perceive and convey the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of each character in addition to their actions.
The omniscient point of view is not the voice of the author but is instead a literary construct used to tell the story, even though the omniscient narrator can step out of the narrative to address the reader, as occasionally happens in The Signature of All Things. Though less frequently used in contemporary literature, the omniscient point of view was characteristic of 18th- and 19th-century novels and is therefore a fitting choice for the narration of this novel, which is set during that time frame and consciously attempts to emulate the literary style of novels published in that era. The omniscient point of view also allows the narrator to contextualize the smaller events of Alma’s life within the larger movements of philosophy, science, imperialism, and discovery that were taking place in the Western world at that time, providing a broadly textured and richly detailed setting.
Figurative Language
The Signature of All Things is especially rich in imagery and figurative language, including metaphor and simile. A prime example appears in this description of Prudence when she first arrives at White Acre: “She looked like a perfect figurine carved out of fine French soap, into which someone had inlaid a pair of glittering peacock-blue eyes” and “the tiny pink pillow of her mouth” (72). Alma’s realization that she is not pretty takes place in vivid comparison, as evident in the contrasting descriptions of the girls’ noses: “Prudence’s nose was a little blossom; Alma’s was a growing yam” (75). This vibrant imagery keeps the language fresh and provides vivid, lifelike depictions of both the characters and their world. The precision of the imagery and occasional playfulness also add interest and intensity to the rhythm of the story as a whole.
Allusion
Among the figurative language in the novel is the frequent use of allusion. In the example from the paragraph above, the description of Prudence goes on to describe her as a “Bathsheba wrought in miniature” (72). Bathsheba was a woman in the Hebrew Bible who was taken by King David to be his wife after David made sure her husband was killed in battle. The allusion suggests Prudence’s sexual vulnerability in the presence of the workmen at White Acre, even though she is still a child. The prose of the novel is lush with such allusions. The prevailing one, suggested by the title, is the reference to Jacob Boehme’s work, which influenced Ambrose, and there is irony in the fact that although Ambrose longs to find the divine signature embedded in all things, it is Alma who arrives at a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism that powers the natural world with her theory of competitive alteration.
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By Elizabeth Gilbert
