Question

It is a British penny with King Edward VII in elegant profile, but his image has been defaced in what was then a criminal act. Stamped all over the king’s head in crude capitals are the words VOTES FOR WOMEN. This suffragette coin stands for all those who fought for the right to vote. Recent objects have been about nineteenth-century mass production and mass consumption – this one is about the rise of mass political engagement.

–A History of the World in 100 Objects,
Neil MacGregor

What technique does the author use to engage the reader?


What is the effect of this technique?

Answer 1

Techniques used:
- Vivid, sensory description (imagery): “King Edward VII in elegant profile… defaced… crude capitals.”
- Juxtaposition/contrast: the “elegant” royal portrait set against the violent act of defacement.
- Use of a concrete, symbolic example (the suffragette coin as a synecdoche/metonymy) to stand for a wider movement.

Effect:
- The imagery and contrast create a striking mental picture that immediately draws the reader in and makes the scene memorable.
- The single object-as-symbol makes an abstract historical shift (the rise of mass political engagement) tangible and emotionally resonant, helping readers connect personally with the struggle for votes for women.
- Together these devices quicken the narrative and lend authority and clarity: a small, specific artifact encapsulates a much larger social change.