Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Throughout his childhood, Mark experiences hunger, sometimes verging on starvation. He describes it as a devouring beast that turns his every emotion into hatred: "At times it was the silent destroyer, creeping in unseen, unrecognized, except when, like a powerful time bomb, it would explode inside my guts. At other times it took the form of a dark, fanged beast, and hovered constantly over my dizzy head, as if about to pounce on me and gouge my guts out with its monstrous talons" (10.58).