Half Hanging Mary Poem Analysis

Words: 170
Pages: 1

In the poem Half Hanged Mary, Margaret Atwood uses simile comparisons between the speaker and other people, juxtaposition to show how unexpected the event always is, and personification to show how the victims are affected negatively for a long time afterward and to convince the audience that the main influence on america is fear and events like mass hysteria.
The first instance of simile usage happened on page 1 of the story, which takes place in the time of the 1680 witch trials. During the hanging of the accused witch, Mary Webster, a few people came to look at here hanging body, but never helped because, “I might rub off on you, like soot or gossip.” (Atwood 1). At the time of the witch trials people’s main fear was being called a witch,