“Intense love does not measure, it simply gives. “ (Mother Teresa) This phrase perfectly describes the character Clarisa in the story “Clarisa” written by Isabel Allende for her generous nature and devotion to helping other people. In this tale, Clarisa is the model of kindness and compassion by giving absolutely everything she had, and even spends "...the last cent of her dowry and her inheritance" (434) and, "In her poverty, she does not she has never turned her back on the poverty of others” (434). For these reasons, the people who know Clarisa hold her in high esteem, and continually portray her as a saint. Allende helps the reader understand the admiration that others have for Clarisa through the use of imagery, similes, and diction. The imagery in "Clarisa" is used to help explain the admiration the narrator has for Clarisa. who arrived in town, distraught and confused. "I combed her meringue hair high on her head, tied it with a ribbon, and then sat down to walk her through this crisis, not knowing exactly what it was" (438) . This piece of text helps the reader imagine Clarisa's age, as well as providing a physical description of Clarisa. Additionally, this piece of text also helps to reveal the love the narrator feels for Clarisa and how she is concerned for Clarisa's well-being. Another image used is: “She was exhausted when she reached the house, with the ringing of bells and applause still ringing in her temples” (438). This portion of text conveys a feeling of tiredness and finality. This description could help infer that Clarisa is exhausted and her body is failing. Clarisa has just finished seeing the Pope, something... middle of paper... how the people who know her or who are impressed by her, hold her in high regard and treat her like a saint. The choice of word in this passage suggests that the people who come to say goodbye actually expect something illustrious to happen and are disappointed that they did not get to experience the event. Both diction samples provide the reader with deeper meaning, without making the passages difficult to read, as well as further conveying the admiration other people have for Clarisa. Allende effectively used the literary devices of imagery, simile, and diction, to help the reader understand the admiration others have for Clarisa while conveying the deeper meaning of the text without compromising its flow and understanding. Each literary device provides a simple, entertaining, and profound way to see this story and learn about the sacrifices of others.