58 pages • 1 hour read
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs
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Literary Devices
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device where an author gives hints or clues about events that will happen later in the story. This technique builds anticipation and suspense, helping to prepare the reader for what’s to come and often adding depth to the narrative. In Imminent, Elizondo refers to as-yet-unmentioned events to build anticipation for their later reveal. He hints at his involvement in a mysterious government program, for example, which would make him an ideal candidate for UAP investigations. This is later revealed to be his role in the remote-viewing program. Elizondo keeps these small biographical details hidden from the reader until they are relevant, though he foreshadows their relevance early in the story.
Point of View
Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. It determines how the narrative is conveyed and includes various positions, such as first person (the narrator is a character in the story), second person (the reader is directly addressed), and third person (the narrator is outside the story, with options for limited or omniscient perspectives). Imminent is written from the first-person perspective. Elizondo is the narrator and the protagonist, so the narrative is portrayed entirely from his perspective. Thus, even controversial events are seen only from one subjective point of view. His decision to go public with information about UAP, for example, is justified in his narrative point of view, while any criticism from the government is dismissed from that same point of view.
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude is the appearance of truth or realism within a work of fiction. In Imminent, Elizondo’s history working with the Pentagon lends credence to his claims about UAP. Though many of Elizondo’s claims about UAP are disputed by those in government and the scientific community, the book presents his beliefs as fact using Elizondo’s own biography to lend verisimilitude to his words.
Anecdote
An anecdote is a brief, engaging story or personal account that is often used to illustrate a point, add humor, or provide insight within a larger narrative. It typically involves a real-life experience or observation and is meant to connect with the audience on a personal level. Elizondo uses anecdote throughout Imminent, especially when providing context about others in the military. In particular, his stories about James Mattis help distinguish Mattis from his colleagues and explain why Elizondo was eager to trust him over others. The anecdotes about their service together illustrate Mattis’s trustworthiness and validate Elizondo’s belief that Mattis would appreciate as much information as possible about potential threats to the United States. In instances such as this, Elizondo uses anecdotes to justify his actions to the audience.
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