# What do you call the literary technique where the weather reflects the character's...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 12, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941 "2007-09-12T18:02:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941/1 "2007-09-12T18:02:56Z")

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…interior state? It’s totally slipping my mind and google is useless.

Like if the character is experiencing inner turmoil, then it’s dark and storming.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941/2 "2007-09-12T18:17:52Z")

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Anthropomorphism is the general term for imputing human characteristics on animals or inanimate objects, but I’d swear there’s a more specific term for what you’re talking about.

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**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941/3 "2007-09-12T18:17:54Z")

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I usually call it “heavy-handed”. 😉

I suspect the term for the technique you’re looking for is [“the pathetic fallacy”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathetic_fallacy) (Wiki) or “the anthropomorphic fallacy”.

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**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941/4 "2007-09-12T18:24:54Z")

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I always thought it was “foreshadowing” but that applies to more than just weather.

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**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-literary-technique-where-the-weather-reflects-the-characters/418941/5 "2007-09-12T18:36:58Z")

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Pathetic Fallacy was the answer - thanks!