One stylistic device that Tom Clancy uses consistently and effectively is dialogue. Much of the plot unfolds through conversations and meetings in which the characters share information about the unfolding events and, to a lesser extent, personal feelings. In chapter 6, for example, Jack Ryan attends a meeting of the National Security Council in which the president is being informed about the rogue Soviet submarine. The information is provided, questioned, and confirmed in dialogue among the council members.
Clancy uses comparison of two types, sometimes in combination: similes, comparisons using “like” or “as,” and metaphors, direct comparisons. One example that uses both to emphasize the same effect concerns light and vision:
It was said that he could turn dazzling charm on and off like a spotlight. Ryan was being blinded, knew it, and couldn’t do a thing about it.
Closely related to metaphor is synecdoche, a type of metonym in which a part is substituted for a whole. In one instance, Clancy uses “stars,” an emblem the high-ranking military officers wear on their uniforms, as synecdoche for the officers themselves.
The Joint Chiefs arrived three minutes later. Tyler had never seen so many stars in one room.
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Tom Clancy was a first rate writer and used many stylistic devices in his novels.
Clancy uses imagery to paint pictures for readers. As a refresher, imagery is when we use figurative language to represent objects and ideas. For example, in The Hunt for Red October, Capt. Bart Mancuso says:
"The hardest part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch."
Readers begin to understand exactly what Clancy is wanting them to, but without him having to say it.
Clancy also uses metaphor in this book. Metaphor is a comparison we make between two things that are unrelated, but possessing the same characteristics. Here's an example from the book:
“We wait. No sense spooking him. We let him come in nice and close while we do our famous imitation of a hole in the water."
Clancy continues to show us what he is meaning to say, without having to tell. "Show, don't Tell" is a classic rule that all authors abide by. Stylistic devices help with that.
Clancy often uses personification to get his point across. Personification is giving human characteristics to non-human objects, animals, or things. Here's an example from the book:
"If Red October hears them coming, she runs a little harder for whatever port her skipper wants"
Clancy used a lot of stylistic devices in this book, those are just three examples of many.
Further reading:
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/style
https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/the-importance-of-the-hunt-for-red-october
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