Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech that uses a small part of something to refer to the whole thing. For example when we say "I asked for her hand in marriage", we do not mean we asked for a literal hand, but rather we proposed to the woman. Thanks to this example, we can see that synecdoche is not only used in literature, but it is a fairly common thing to employ, even if we do not realize it. There is also a less common form of synecdoche, and that is using a whole to refer to a part. This example could be using the word "mortals" referring to humans even though it literally means all mortal things (animals) ("Synecdoche").

“The wind whips the snow into blinding swirls but does not block out the sound of another wave of boots headed our way.” This is a passage in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 by Suzanne Collins, and we can see the usage of synecdoche here. The phrase "another wave of boots headed our way" does not mean that boots were marching but rather soldiers ("Collins").

Works cited:

GeeksforGeeks. (2023, August 2). Synecdoche - meaning, definition, uses & examples. GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/synecdoche/

Collins, S. (2010). Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book three). Scholastic Inc.

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, September 12). Synecdoche. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche