Tuesday, February 9, 2016

In "Rikki- Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling, what words in the description of Rikki let the reader know that he moves around a lot?

When Kipling describes Rikki's actions, he uses action verbs, adjectives, and phrases to give the reader the sense that Rikki is almost always in motion. Usually when Rikki goes somewhere, Kipling says he "ran"; other verbs used are "sprung," "jumped," "danced," "scuttled," "raced," and "bounding." These action verbs convey the idea that Rikki often moves quickly. He frequently does several motions in quick succession. As soon as he was dried off when he first came to the bungalow, he "ran all around the table, sat up and put his fur in order, scratched himself, and jumped on the small boy's shoulder." Describing this series of actions in a list shows that Rikki has a frenetic way of moving around.
Adjectives that describe Rikki are "restless" and "curious." These show that he doesn't like to remain in one spot. When Teddy goes to bed, Rikki is a "restless companion," getting up to check on every little noise in the bungalow.
Phrases that give the idea that Rikki moves around a lot include "all around the table," "over the house," "in and out of the house all day long," "to and fro," and "bounding all around." These phrases also show that Rikki covers a lot of ground, rarely staying still. 
Action verbs, adjectives, and phrases in the story help the reader picture how active Rikki is.

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