Allende uses figures of speech to describe the people of the different environments in which Alexander Cold, the protagonist, is placed throughout his journey. Her use of similes in describing the citizens of New York ‘looked like robots’ (p.17) and ‘like crazy people’ (p.17) contrasts the way she describes the lives of the People of the Mist ‘the atmosphere was relaxed and festive’ (p.210) and ‘no one hurried’ (p. 210).By relating the people of New York as ‘like robots’, she is conveying the image that they have lost the true meaning of life- they have become robots. Allende also adds to this when she writes ‘like crazy people’. She uses the adjective ‘crazy’ to emphasise that westerners are becoming crazy people, built on the foundations of work and money. By saying this, she creates a tone of frustration, supporting the notion that we are creating a world full of stress and concern. This establishes a clear contrast between the People of the Mist, describing their environment as ‘relaxed and festive’. Allende uses these adjectives to create a peaceful and relaxed tone, which is reinforced when she adds ‘no one hurried’. This distinguishes between the frustrating lives of the people of New York and the peaceful life of the People of the Mist.
Allende’s use of characterisation within the novel conveys various perspectives about the Western and Indian cultures. Carias, a well known businessman of the area, portrays that he believes to be on top of the world, with everything going his way ‘By the time settlers come to cut trees and breed cattle, you and I will be rich’ (p. 92). Carias was speaking to Maurus and is planning to expand development in the Amazon and finds no significance in preserving its natural habitat or its people. This is also proved when he says ‘Before the three months have gone by, there won’t be a living sole left in that area’ (p.93) which also implies that he is planning genocide in order to get rid of its inhabitants. Through Carias, Allende suggests that the Western culture has adopted this character, with many willing to go to great lengths to get their hands on fame and money.
Furthermore, Allende’s use of setting contrasts between the Western and Indian values. Through setting, she compares New York and the Amazon and suggests that setting encapsulates the values of the area and effects whoever enters it. This can be seen by Morgana, with Allende giving the impression that New York has created a young woman which has no true sense of moral judgement. The way she relates to her own mother ‘My stupid mother’ (p. 22) suggests that the Western way of life is producing a generation that has lost its moral sense of value and cannot be trusted. Allende uses New York to contrast life in the Amazon. Through Nadia, she conveys the image that the peaceful and relaxing environment which Nadia calls her home has created a young girl ‘who inspired respect’ (p. 251) and ‘had poise and dignity’ (p.251). This gives the impression that Nadia’s life in the Amazon has made her who she is- a young girl with a strong respectful personality. This line demonstrates Allende’s intention in suggesting that environment encapsulates the values of the place, and in turn, affects whoever enters it.
In conclusion, City of the Beast by Isabelle Allende, is a novel which conveys the message that there is a cultural flaw with our modern civilisations. This is most apparent in the theme of cultural difference between the Western and Indian cultures, and through diction, characterisation and setting, Allende expresses her feelings towards the values of Western cultures. Through diction, she portrays that Western societies are building a world full of anxiety and stress, and have lost the true meaning of life. Allende’s use of characterisation creates personalities that synopsize the values of both the Western and Indian cultures, contrasting their values and way of life. Her choice of setting also gives the reader the impression that settings encapsulate the values of the environment which affect those who enter them. Through the differences in culture in City of the Beast, Allende shows that there is a fault in our Western culture which is creating an unsafe, stressful society and that the Indian culture is superior.
