Analyzing Style: Words and Sentences
First, read a whole bunch of short passages written in different styles. Read at least a dozen.
You'll find some here by scrolling down and clicking.
You'll find more here.
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STEP TWO
Choose two passages whose diction (types of words used) you will compare. Write or type the passages, authors' names, and book of origin into a word processing document.
And choose two other passages whose sentences (structure, syntax, length) you will compare. Type the passages, authors' names, and book of origin into a word processing document.
Next, write (or type)* everything you notice about the words used in the first two passages. Think about the formality, language of origin, register, and connotations. Then, speculate about what might be rhetorically and artistically significant about what you have noticed about the words used. Write** down your ideas.
Then, write (or type)* everything you notice about the sentences used in the second two passages. Think about the sentence structures (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex). Think about syntax (standard, inverted, periodic). Think about the sentence length. But most importantly try to describe the way the sentence works. Does it start off with an independent clause and then add on additional description and information? Does it begin with a series of dependent clauses before revealing what the sentence is really about? Does it employ listing? Are there any digressions, pauses, or delays on the way to completion? Then, speculate about what might be rhetorically and literarily significant about what how the sentences are constructed. Write** down your ideas.
* Write/type what you notice on the left side of double entry notes.
** Write/type your ideas about the significance of what you've noticed on the right side of double entry notes.
Bring the notes to class on Thursday, September 11.
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STEP THREE
Finally, write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the word choices and significance of the word choices in the first two passages. And write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the sentence structures and the significance of the sentence structures in the second two passages. (It's okay to mention other rhetorical choices, like sentence structures, when analyzing diction (also known as, word choices); and it's also okay to mention other rhetorical choices, like diction, when analyzing sentence structures.) Post these paragraphs in the comment box below before class on Tuesday, September 16. (Note the changed due date.) Use your first name and last initial. Make sure it's clear which passages you are analyzing; identify the authors and titles.
As we talked about in class, try to write paragraphs by beginning with a comparative idea--something like this, "Although both passages convey ideas about problems in education, James Cook's "I Wanna Bore Ya" uses outdated slang to satirize his own failures as a teacher, whereas Kurt Lichtenwald's essay "Are You Kidding Me?" relies upon incendiary taboo diction to convey an aggressive critique of widespread incompetence." After establishing the big comparative idea--the thesis!--then go back and forth, shuttling between the two passages to develop the idea and support it with appropriate quoted evidence. (Your analysis should be as thorough as possible.)
The dictions in the passages from William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” both focus on pessimism, but but in an honest way. Faulkner uses words such as “wild grief” and Dickens has “sorrow and trouble” to express the seriousness of the conflict. This also acts as possible foreshadowing for the deaths that come towards the in the passages. Danger continues to be kept in mind as the protagonist is brought into safety. In “Barn Burning” the character has to “hurl himself aside and into the weed-choked roadside ditch” while in “Oliver Twist” Oliver has to go through the “office of respiration--a troublesome practice” But once the characters themselves are safe, their parent is now the one to die. When Faulkner’s character finds his father is is danger he, he has to “run, stumbling, tripping over something and scrabbling up again without ceasing to run”. The choice of stumbling over “something” and not specifying shows that the focus isn’t over what the character fell from, but it is on the father being shot. This is also done by Dickens, when the patchwork coverlet “was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead”. Both bring the reader’s attention off of the little details, and more on the loss of each character’s parent.
ReplyDeleteSentence structure plays a role in “Confessions” by St. Augustine and “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway's sentences in the given passage rarely use punctuation to divide ideas. For example, “He saw the phosphorescence of the Gulf weed in the water as he rowed over the part of the ocean that the fisherman called the great well because there was a sudden deep of seven hundred fathoms where all sorts of fish congregated because of the swirl the current made against the steep walls of the floor of the ocean.” has no commas or semicolons. This results in the sentence being read in one motion, and whatever is most described is what the reader will take. This way, there are little details, such as seeing the phosphorescence, but the reader’s main focus in the sentence is the great well. “Confessions” has a contrasting sentence structuring style. When describing possible motives for a murder, St. Augustine writes “Either he desired his wife or his property or else he would steal to support himself; or else he was afraid of losing something to him; or else, having been injured, he was burning to be revenged.” Here, semicolons are used so the reader pauses to take in each of the possibilities, without having to use a period. Through doing this, Augustine has to write only important details, as it would mislead or confuse the reader if he was to focus on the small things. Hemingway's sentence style makes it easy only to remember the last idea stated. Like when he writes “He thought of how some men feared being out of sight of land in a small boat and knew they were right in the months of sudden bad weather.” The weather is what is remembered in the sentence, rather than the men’s fears. St. Augustine has the reader remember each of the ideas through his punctuation, such as “Even for that savage and brutal man [Cataline], of whom it was said that he was gratuitously wicked and cruel, there is still a motive assigned to his deeds.” The counterargument that Cataline is murdered simply because he was evil is recognized, but it is still believed that there is more of a motive. Both ideas are remembered from that sentence because of the comma used, which created a pause to take in each half. “Confessions” and “The Old Man and the Sea” use opposite approaches in sentence structure, and by doing so, affects what and how the story is being told.
Josh, your analysis of the sentence structures used by St. Augustine and Ernest Hemingway is particularly impressive here. Your position is clear and strong. The support of the position is convincing and the development includes several nuances.
DeleteFormal and informal diction are two types of word choice that set apart Charles Dickens’ and Ernest Hemingway’s writing styles. In Dickens’ Oliver Twist, he tends to lean towards formal diction, while Hemingway chose the informal path in his novel A Farewell to Arms. Because Dickens uses formal diction and language that derives from Latin and Greek, his passage can be interpreted in a more educated and mature manner. On the other hand, Hemingway’s style of writing stays within the boundaries of concrete and monosyllabic diction. Dickens’ and Hemingway’s diction, though circling around similar topics and emotions, differ from one another especially through the types of adjectives they used. The way Dickens describes the birth and near death of Oliver Twist is much more calm and accepting in comparison to the way Hemingway excitedly described the death of a character’s wife at childbirth. Hemingway made this scene include emotions of nervousness and sorrow by using bitter words such as “die” and “hell.” These words connect with bad feelings in our world today, which is why they cause Hemingway’s scene of childbirth to bring about feelings of sadness for the character. This also connects to the way the two authors make their readers feel about the mother in each of the stories. While reading the scene Oliver Twist in which the mother is at her death bed, readers feel more sympathy for her than they would for the mother in Farewell to Arms. The reason for this is that Dickens makes the mother appear as though she is under a lot of pain and suffering that it would be better for her to die. In contrast, Hemingway foreshadows what the mother’s husband’s emotions if his own wife dies. This causes readers to wish for the mother to live rather than die.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain and Robert Fitzgerald are authors who use different forms of sentence structure to portray action scenes. While in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain includes long sentences filled with information. This causes readers to have to think about a lot after reading such an abundant amount of information. Unlike Twain, Fitzgerald writes The Odyssey using short, chopping sentences. He also includes a lot of syntax in order to keep readers interested. “Brewing high thunderheads, he churned the deep with both hands on his trident—called up wind from every quarter, and sent a wall of rain to blow out land and sea in torrential night.” The structure of this sentence is unlike any typical sentence. The order of the subject, verb, and adjective in this sentence is mixed around, which attracts readers’ attention and keeps them interested in what they are reading. Twain also uses syntax, but his sentences are much more complicated than Fitzgerald’s. “The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line—that was the woods on t’other side—you couldn’t make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness, spreading around; then the river softened up, away off, and warn’t black anymore, but gray; you could see little dark spots drifting along, ever so far away—trading scows, and such things; and long black streaks—rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking; or jumbled up voices, it was so still, and sounds come so far…” Punctuation and length are especially important points in this sentence. Instead of breaking this passage up into sentences, Twain uses semicolons to create depth and allow his sentence to carry more information than a reader could usually handle. What allows a reader to be able to handle this much information is the perfect way Twain executes exposing all of it. Though the sentence is longer than a usual sentence, Twain almost created a list with the dashes he uses. Sentence structure is a very important factor in literature.
You've accurately observed many stylistic features in the passages. Remember that all sentences have syntax, so instead of a sentence having "a lot of syntax," you might say it has ornate or complex syntax.
DeleteWord choices outline and describe the tone and feeling an author is trying to put across in his or her story. The authors Hemingway and Homer both have different diction in their stories. Hemingway uses a simple and modern style to get his ideas about the relationships between the old man, his environment and way of life, Homer uses complex words with multiple layers of meanings to illustrate his characters perception and experience with the environment. These two different styles bring different elements to each piece and serve as bridges between the authors, characters, the character’s environment and the reader. Words are the foundation for creating certain interpretations and can tell a story in their own. In the Old man and the Sea, Hemingway uses simple words and standard language but keeps the story strong and soaked with detail. His word choice connects the reader to the story. In comparison, Homer, in the Odyssey, writes with fancy language, with Greek and Latin roots to illustrate his story. While this provides nice variation in the story, it can seem overly embellished and the reader connects to the words rather than the idea and theme of the book. The language jostles you up and pushes you, rather than Hemingway’s flowing style, which picks you up and gently carries you. Hemingway also uses words to suggest connections within the book and uses “she” to describe the sea, bringing the reader to understand the human nature of sea and show the reader how the old man thinks of the sea, and how deep their connection is.In the Odyssey, by Homer, words are also used to show Odysseus's relationship with his environment.Words like "toppling,"tremendous," and "gloom" suggest that Odysseus is tuck in tumultuous environment. He can't control it and he is overwhelmed. By using these words, Homer doesn't have to say that this character is struggling, but suggests it and keeps the reader engaged in the story. In the Old Man and the Sea, also Hemingway uses “ice cream” in a simile, which was a bit of shock. Many times authors use flowy and picturesque language. Using the word ice cream, lets the reader immediately connect to Hemingway as an author because of this common word, it startles one, which is why it is such a good word to use. By making the audience pause and smile, Hemingway is able to get them to really picture the scene and connect to the story. Homer also uses language to illustrate his scenes but he uses more formal language like “another gale comes on to blow,” and manages to distance itself from today’s readers, because we no longer talk like how this story is written. It seems old fashioned and bulky. At the time, I think it was meant to show intelligence and caused the reader trust and connect with the author. Now, I think we are more focused on the ideas, feeling of the story and how the words create concepts and fit together. Hemingway’s modern style connects and serves its purpose in this way. Although these two styles are very different, they are both useful to the author.
ReplyDeleteImpressive detail and insight.
DeleteImpressive detail and insight
DeleteSentence choice is very important in the structure of a passage and can be a useful rhetoric tool for authors. Martin Luther King and Charles Dickens both use juxtaposition and transition in their sentences as well as well-placed quotes to convey important ideas in their writing and add power to their points. Martin Luther King took advantage of this strategy when he wrote his letters from Birmingham jail. He says “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say ‘wait.’” By using this sentence and explaining where his opponents are he causes the audience to think about why people are slow for change, and why the change is important. His use of quotes here by saying the word “wait” really push that thought into the mind. Rather than bother with saying they are slow to start the end of segregation he just says what his opponents are thinking which provides more credibility and goes straight to the point. Dickens also uses a quote in a selection from Oliver Twist. He writes, “a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words ‘let me see the child and die.’” This quote from Oliver’s mother conveys her sense of desperation and hopelessness because it takes the emotion straight from her voice instead of getting it through a second hand retelling by Dickens describing it. The quote is more raw and powerful. The choice to put the quote at the end of the selection is also important because as the selection ends, so does someone’s life. After the quote stops there is nothing to read and it forces the reader to think for a least a moment about what has just happened. This causes them to really let the death of Oliver Twist’s mother sink in and shows the grim way Oliver was brought into the world. Another way Dickens uses sentence choice in this passage is that he starts off a paragraph with “As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow.” In the middle of this sentence, the feeling changes. It starts off with a celebratory action; Oliver is finally starting to settle in to the world and do all right, until you transition with the words “carelessly” and “flung” into the despair and sickness of his mother. This juxtaposition of two ideas in the same sentence creates a powerful contrast and emphasizes Oliver’s dire situation in his new world. Juxtaposition is a style that Martin Luther King employed as well. He compares the segregator having a false sense of superiority and the segregated as having a sense of inferiority. This close contrast in the same sentence pinpoints King’s ideas about segregation not being good for anyone in society. King and Dickens both prove in these passages that juxtaposition and sentence structure are some of the most effective rhetorical strategies an author can use.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the passages written by Sir Thomas Brown and King James were both attempting to describe the “futility of all things in the face of time”, their diction, mainly the register, differed quite greatly. When reading through the King James Bible excerpt, the language used is archaic, because it is so ancient, the language and even sentence structure is not used this way anymore. This contrasts to Sir Thomas Brown’s quote which is as formal as King James’s excerpt, except much more modern language compared to King James. In the Bible excerpt, you can also see how the language follows a register which is highly Christian, holy, and/or religious. He uses much jargon that relates to holy and religious because the statements slightly contradict each other to prove a point, which is often used in religious texts to prove a point. Sir Thomas Brown uses much more modern language than King James, so his writing is more on the formal level of diction. Also the register is much more intellectual, as in almost a bit on the sciencey end, while the King James Bible is more wise, comparing to elderly wisdom. While the Bible is written like all the answers are already there, Brown’s piece, is much more open in his beliefs and thoughts than the bible which is steadfast. These are the major differences between the King James Bible excerpt and the piece written by Sir Thomas Brown.
ReplyDeleteThe sentence structures between Joan Didion’s excerpt from Slouching Towards Bethlehem, and William Goldings piece from Lord of the Flies, both contrast each other greatly, from punctuation to clause structure. In the Lord of the Flies excerpt,“Jack, knowing this was the crisis, charged too. They met with a jolt and bounced apart. Jack swung with his fist at Ralph and caught him on the ear. Ralph hit Jack in the stomach and made him grunt. Then they were facing each other, panting and furious, but unnerved by each other's ferocity. They became aware of the noise that was the background to this fight, the steady shrill cheering of the tribe behind them,” Golding uses many more different varieties of sentence structures, switching mainly between compound and complex, sometimes meshing the two together. This does not occur in the excerpt from Slouching Towards Bethlehem, in which Didion is describing her arrival to New York. “When I first saw New York I was twenty, and it was summertime, and I got off a DC-7 at the old Idlewild temporary terminal in a new dress which had seemed very smart in Sacramento but seemed less smart already, even in the old Idlewild temporary terminal, and the warm air smelled of mildew and some instinct, programmed by all the movies I had ever seen and all the songs I had ever heard sung and all the stories I had ever read about New York, informed me that it would never be quite the same again,” is what she said and this varies from Golding’s piece because Golding broke up his passage into smaller, more compact sentences, while Didion let hers continue to unfold for a longer period. This leads to Didion’s sentence becoming more of a periodic sentence, while Golding’s passage uses smaller sentences that use more additives and coordinating clauses to further engage the sentences. Although Didion’s passage may seem like this too except longer in length, it is not because the “and” used repetitively is actually a dependant clause. This also displays that while Didion has dependant clauses, Golding uses only independent clauses to build more complex sentences. This is how Joan Didion and William Golding’s excerpts’ sentence structures vary and differ from each other.
The king James Translation of the Bible and Sir Thomas Browne both use diction in a varied way to get the readers’ attention to get their point across.The Bible Translation uses concrete and and basic words in the English language, whereas the text by Sir Thomas Browne uses many polysyllabic words, that are more complex and intricate. The Bible is written in older English, yet despite this it seems that it is not trying to use advanced vocabulary at the time. This may have been to allow a vast majority of people to understand. For example within the passage it says, “All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.” In contrast, the passage written by Sir Thomas Browne reads, “But to subsist in bones, and be pyramidically extant, is a fallacy in duration.” The difference is quite obvious. The Bible uses easy to understand language, that the average person may be able to acknowledge, where the only time this language is used in Sir Browne’s writing is when it is absolutely necessary. Browne’s writing uses formal and archaic vocabulary whenever possible. This may a strategy used to make the reader think harder on what he is presenting. This is also only the first sentence in the passage, so the words quickly grab the readers’ attention, while the Bible just states its point in a plain manner, building on as it goes, so as to allow to allow the reader to address each thought as it comes. These variables in diction allow the reader to be influenced interestingly by the simple changes in vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteCharles Dickens and Earnest Hemingway similarly use sentence structure in a varied fashion to connect with the reader in a manner of ways. Charles Dickens primarily uses long and intricate sentences, that have many components to develop his presentation. Variably, Earnest Hemingway, who is renowned for the simplistic and basic style, displays this in the passage presented. Dickens writes, “The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected of a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.” Versus Hemingway, who writes, “I went down to the door he had gone into and found them in the room doing things to a new-born child. The doctor held him up for me to see. He held him by the heels and slapped him.” Dickens tries to fit as many ideas as possible into one sentence, using different punctuation to build on the concept that is revealed wholly only at the end of the sentence. He builds the setting as it unwraps in the scene. Hemingway follows a monotonous, straight-forward concept that allows the reader to experience each component one section at a time. The different structures allow the reader to be affected by each factor in the setting that connect them to the story in different ways in order to become attached to each author’s writing style.
In difference in word choice between hemingway and Faulkner is not all that different. The two differences that I noticed was the jargon difference between the two. For example hemingway uses words and phrases that belong out on the sea. Fathom, holes, trade winds, and others are used. Although faulkners passage does not use a lot of different jargon, they both use a lot of adjectives to set the scene and in faulkners case, create suspense and cause an ascending dramatic feeling. Their styles of presenting their stories are very different though. In the passage by Faulkner the childs father dies, but you do not find that out until the end. He uses the increasing suspense of each line and adjectives to allow you to interpret the meaning and assume what has happened. However, hemingway uses his words to describe and tell. He tells you the setting, which is in a boat on the sea and then tells you the dangers and beauties of the sea, there is no interpretation needed. Hemingway also uses much simpler language than Faulkner, the vocabulary used by Faulkner is more on the formal side, leaving you to assume it may have been based during a time where the English language was still in a more formal manor. This again has to be thought about, but Hemingway leaves you to believe this was a relatively recent story with a more up to date vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteHemingway does not structure his passage to create suspense and build up the scene. Faulkner uses suspense and tension to make his scene build, as the passage goes the sentences get stronger and stronger, creating a snowball like affect. He adds intensity as he goes, unlike hemingway who just throws everything out there and does not worry about building up. Hemingway does not need to build up because his scene is not action packed. The difference in scenery and scenario causes them to have many different techniques. Hemingway likes to use simple language and just use simplicity to get his point across. He does not make the reader focus on his words as much as he makes them focus on his ideas. He does this by using easy language which allows people to focus on the implied things rather than focusing on making sure they understand the words used in the passage. Hemingway also makes all of his sentences its own, he doesn’t rely on other things to be interpreted or rely on building up a scene. He just tells you what is going on and it is that simple. Faulkner never tells you where this setting is or gives any details regarding a setting. Hemingway on the other hand, he comes right out and immediately tells you the setting is on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Hemingway also uses sentences to personify the things around him, the ocean most importantly. The personification used by Hemingway differs immensely from Faulkners style of storytelling and suspense.
Origin of words in addition to informal and formal diction are a few examples of word choices made by Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain. Ernest Hemingway’s, “The Old Man and the Sea” is written with very informal and standard language. “The old man knew he was going far out and he left the smell of the land behind and rowed out into the clean early morning smell of the ocean.” Hemingway uses simple words like “smell” instead of say “aroma” or “fragrance”. Hemingway writes in a plain and current way while Mark Twain writes in a old-fashioned more complicated way. Mark Twain does this too in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. “It was so still, and sounds come so far…”. Instead of using “tranquil” or say “stagnant”, Twain uses “still”. The choices made by both authors to use informal/standard language makes the reader better understand what is being said and the author seems to be on a common level. The origin of words from both passages are quite similar. Many of the words from both passages are from German or Old English roots, “oar”, “deep”, “throw”, “dark” and “sea” are some examples from both passages. While there are some differences between the passages, the authors use similar strategies and the strategies help both writers develop a connection with the reader.
ReplyDeleteCharles Dicken’s and William Folkner both have similar techniques of sentence structure. In both “Oliver Twist” and “Barn Burning” there are long drawn-out sentences with similar punctuation. The passages contain mostly commas inserted for breaking up the sentences. The passage from “Barn Burning” has a stronger affect on the reader with there being only one sentence however. The passage seems to be intensified and more suspenseful. Also, this strategy seems to capture the rush of the moment being described. Charles Dicken’s, “Oliver Twist” uses the same technique of long sentences supported by commas, but in a different way. “The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration--a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence...” This sentence starts of with something somewhat rare, a child struggling terribly to take it’s first breath. This might seem strange to some, most of us don’t even think about breathing we just do it. The sentence then changes to something common and known among all of us and that is the importance of breathing and how we can’t live without this action. Then the sentence travels back to the child struggling, making a loop. The long sentence of this passage from “Oliver Twist” doesn’t work as well as the one from William Folkner’s. The sentence seems longer and with each comma there seems to be more information supporting the severe condition of the baby but the passage might have been more intense and powerful if the writer had used short sentences with periods however. Both Charles Dicken’s and William Folkner use similar strategies yet the strategies worked better for Folkner’s passage.
The Diction in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea greatly differs from the diction in Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Hemingway will commonly use longer, bolder words like “phosphorescence” to describe a scene or action. For example, Hemingway writes “He saw the phosphorescence of the Gulf weed in the water as he rowed over the part of the ocean that the fisherman called the great well because there was a sudden deep of seven hundred fathoms where all sorts of fish congregated because of the swirl the current made against the steep walls of the floor of the ocean”. In this example you can see that Hemingway uses the word “phosphorescence” to describe Gulf weed and also uses the word “congregated” to describe the gathering of fish, this really helps the reader visualize what Hemmingway is writing. King uses words with the same level of formality but he uses them to help the reader emotionally understand the point he is making in his writing. A good example of the way King selects his word choice is “when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society”. King uses the word smothering to give the reader an understanding of emotion that the writer is feeling. Both Hemingway and King use vocabulary on a higher formality but they use it in different ways to give the reader whatever it is they want to get across.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain uses very different sentence structure in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn than Ernest Hemingway does in A Farewell to Arms. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain will continue his sentences in a chronological matter without interruption. Twain writes “ It was a monstrous big river down there--sometimes a mile and a half wide; we run nights, and laid up and hid day-times. . . Then we set out the lines.” Here you can see that even though Twain could just start a new sentence to describe every event, he chooses to keep them linked together in order for the reader to keep attention and absorb the acts as one whole thing and not a bunch a smaller things. Hemingway does almost the exact opposite, “She won't die [in childbirth]. She's just having a bad time. The initial labor is usually protracted. She's only having a bad time.” Here you can see that Hemingway is keeping the sentences as simple as he can. When reading this, the reader is able to directly understand every detail. Hemingway is also using repetition in this quote in order to underline a detail. Because Hemingway structures his sentences so simply, it isn’t easy for the reader to pick up which detail is more important than the other. To get around this Hemingway simply repeats a sentence if it has significant meaning like he did when writing “She’s just having a bad time” and after another sentence he repeats it, writing “She’s only having a bad time.” When the reader reads a detail numerous times, he will understand that this detail is more important than the others.
In the passage from the King James Bible by Ecclesiastes there is mostly old english words used metaphorically and and in the passage from Behind the Wall by Colin Thubron there is mostly modern words used to create a real picture of what was going on in the passage. In the passage from the Bible it is written in way that if you took it seriously it would not make any sense to the reader and because of that every reader should be able to relate something to the passage from their own lives. In Behind the Wall everything is written so you take it very seriously and there isn’t a way that you can misinterpret what the passage is saying. “All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing,”(King James Bible) most of these words have one concrete meaning to them and it is written in a way that is easy for everyone to understand, but at the same time written in a way that everyone will understand in a different way. “ While sallow girls, their plaits and ponytails bound in elastic bands, bicycled solemnly,” (Behind the Wall) the words used in this passage are modern and colloquial and they are used so that they can not be interpreted in a different way and everyone that reads this passage will be picturing the same thing.
ReplyDeleteIn the passage from “Bad Burning” by William Faukner, the entire passage is one sentence building up the suspense of the passage until it reaches the end and you understand what is going on while in the passage from “Goodbye to All That” by Joan Didion, the one sentence is made up of many different topics that get to the point immediately. William Faukner is able to use a lot of detail in his passage and he uses that to his advantage to build everything up to the end of the sentence while Joan Didion is not able to use as much detail because her sentence is very rapid and as soon as she is starting one topic she is already off to the next. William Faukner and Joan Didion also use commas and colons to their advantage, but both used them in different ways. Faukner uses the punctuation to make the passage smooth and he puts them in the right spots to make the passage continue on smoothly instead of breaking it at an awkward point. “: A long, swirling roar incredible and soundless, blotting the stars, and he springing up and into the road again, running again, knowing it was too late yet still running even after he heard the shot and, an instant later, two shots, pausing now without knowing he had ceased to run,” after every comma Faukner continues to build upon the same subject and he creates more tension for the reader. Didion uses the punctuation to break up the sentence into choppy parts that all have different topics instead of keeping the passage smooth and clean. “When I first saw New York I was twenty, and it was summertime, and I got off a DC-7 at the old Idlewild temporary terminal in a new dress which had seemed very smart in Sacramento but seemed less smart already,” the commas are used for the narrator to get off of the topic of her first seeing New York.
Hemingway and Twain both use jargon in their literary pieces but contrast most obviously when it comes to their diction and use of emotion. Both authors use colloquial language, but while Hemingway's is more standard, Twain uses a lot of slang and is often vulgar or even taboo. Hemingway does not use emotion in his writing, which he does to prompt the reader to analyze the recurring symbols he uses throughout the novel and to interpret them in their own way. Twain strategically uses language that reflects what life was about in the South during the time and to make the satire more clear to the reader. Hemingway's word choice is so simple that a child learning to speak English could pick up on the story being told, whereas to understand much of what the characters in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" are saying, the slang of the time period/region and the context of the time period are both vital to understanding the purpose of the book.
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther King Jr. and Sir Thomas Browne both use long sentences consisting of lists in order to form their argument. Both authors also use diction and examples that are meant to tug at the emotions of the reader and make them really think about the message being conveyed. King makes long lists to force the reader to acknowledge the injustices he and his people have faced for too long. Browne inserts a list into his opening paragraph to show establish from the beginning his purpose for righting, about the futility of all living things in the face of time. "Vain ashes which in the oblivion of names, persons, times, and sexes, have found unto themselves a fruitless continuation, and only arise unto late posterity, as emblems of mortal vanities, antidotes against pride, vainglory, and maddening vice. . . ." Neither of the authors begin their passages without strength. MLK starts his letter off with a simple sentence: "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." Although this sentence is very basic in structure, it begins his argument with a firm foundation in which to lay his reasoning upon. Some of Browne's sentences such as "'Tis too late to be ambitious." are short and concise as a way of giving the reader a sense of doom, whereas King's long, drawn out sentences build up an intense feeling of power from the author, and the sentences are filled with the hope of the oppressed.
The passage from Hemingway’s “Old man and the Sea” and Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” share similar word choice and the diction that the two writers use is very interesting in the way it is used in the passages. In The passage from the Old Man and the Sea, hemingway uses much more intense vocabulary to describe the environment that the old man is in, however, the book is written in a way where you would not expect that kind of vocabulary. It seems out of place but it is there to stress that this story focuses on the ocean. Similarly in Huck Finn, Twain uses that also help give a very visual representation of the setting. The choice of words however make the reader feel like this is one of their experiences, the way that he describes the river that they are on makes a very enticing experience for the reader. The two passages both share a quality of making the reader feel like they really understand what is going on as if they are their or have been their before.
ReplyDeleteIn the passage from “Birth of Oliver Twist” Dickens structures his sentences so that they appear very scientific, but at the same time personal ro the reader. Similarly in a passage from “A Farewell to Arms” Hemingway structures his sentences to that it seems that the father doesn’t care about the birth of his son. He describes his son as a freshly skinned rabbit and how his son nearly killed the mother. It appears however that the father is trying to deny his happiness for his son’s birth because he feels that he should have no feelings for the child, even though he does. Also in Oliver Twist, Dickens uses language that would imply that he sees his son’s birth as more scientific than personal, even though he feels proud for his son, but he must feel sadness at the same time because of his wife’s death. He describes all the things that Oliver is doing in his first moments of birth, but in great detail. He is explaining the way he is breathing how he was screaming. He focused so much on this and then it was revealed at the last word of the passage that the mother is dying. It seems strange that he would focus on so many details about his son’s few seconds then just say that his wife is dying. That must just show how proud of a father he is. This is similar in both passages however they appear to be in opposite opinions.
"his son"?
DeleteThe passages from Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" and Faulkner's "Barn Burning" both utilize anticipation in their word choices. Although, the emotions that each author attempt to elicit are quite contrary to each other, they both use standard diction to express the emotions of that character at that time. The passage from the " The Old Man and the Sea" uses very descriptive language to express the scene around the Old Man, while Faulkner only addresses the items hindering the boy from reaching to his father. The passage from the “Burning Barn” states the boy falls or stumble over specific items, while the Old Man savors all the aspects of his surroundings and dwell on each aspect of it. Hemingway uses words such as undulation, and calm to describe the scene around the old man, while Faulkner’s words are abrupt, one after the next portraying the feelings of anxiousness in the character and the reader. Hemmingway also writes that the Old Man could “....feel the morning coming as he rowed…,” the use of the word “feel” in this particular instance makes the morning seem as something that happens progressively, not an instantaneously. Conversely, Faulkner expresses the boy’s “wild grief and need must in a moment more find him wings” the use of wild and wings in this case makes the emotions of the child seem real and tangible, something that consumes him and the reader as well. The passage from Faulkner’s “Burning Barn” is one sentence that expresses the grief that consumes the child, while Hemmingway uses six paragraphs to tell that the Old Man is rowing into the sea and to describe his surroundings. Both passages deals with the extremes of human emotion one deals with grief and the feelings accompanied with loss, while Hemingway tells of the peaceful yet deadly sea the scene in serene and tranquil conversely to Faulkner’s passage.
ReplyDeleteBoswell and Hume are both attempting to inform their readers on a particular subject that they each have great expertise. However, Boswell uses opinionated language using standard diction, while Hume states facts using formal diction. Boswell states that Johnson “at a very early period, marked his character, gathered such strength in his twentieth year…,” this is an opinion, the author is attempting to tell his readers his own opinion, while stating it as a fact that has been proven. Other scholars on Johnson life may feel defiantly. Hume writes that the Greeks perceived “… the Peloponnesian War… as a world war, causing enormous destruction of life and property, intensifying factional and class hostility, and dividing the Greek states internally and destabilizing their relationship to one another” Hume informs his readers of this Greek society in that time without including his own opinion of the situation. This formal diction also utilizes ethos words such as legitimately, destabilizing and capacity demands the attention of the reader and makes the author seem as if he knows what he is talking about which builds trust between the reader and the author himself. Likewise, Boswell builds trust with his reader by the use of quotations, and being precise in his opinions, writing in his “twentieth year” instead of “as a youth.” Both authors attempt to build trust with their readers to bring their point across.
Passages Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Tobias Wolff’s “In Pharaoh’s Army” both have a grim feel to them but O’Connor brings that grim feeling to the reader with words like “as the grandmother limped out of the car,” whereas Wolff’s kind of disguises the fear quoting “his eyes hooded and vaguely yellow.” Particularly O’Connor’s work really brings a mean disturbing feel to it as a man is disappointed that the grandmother lives, saying “But nobody’s dead.” A grandmother limping is viewed by most as a sad thing and O’Connor using that to bring sympathy to the grandmother and dislike to the man. Wolff’s passage is more of a grim mysterious setting, hiding with words like “drove, hooded, vaguely, weak,” creating a passage that’s more open for interpretation. These writing pieces both have a similar sketchy/disturbing feel to it, but the authors both made different word choices to guide the reader to feel a curtain way.
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ReplyDeleteIn Mark Twain’s passage about Huck Finn he talks in a very informal language, he speaks truly like his main character in the book and imitates a southern type speech with many slurs and even at times uses vulgar words. His language of origin appears to be Anglo Saxon. Twain uses countless adjectives and always lists off the details of the surroundings. In the passage of the old man in the sea Hemingway talks in a very formal, almost robotic language. Most of his speech lacks adjectives which makes it almost sound empty and appears to derive from a Germanic origin. Twain uses connotation frequently in his work describing the many objects he puts in detail. Hemingway however lacked this in his writing as most of his words have a fairly direct meaning. Mark Twain talks in this informal language and uses southern slurs for a good reason, he does it to not only connect but convey the story in a convincing way that can make it easy for the reader to grasp the situations and the book itself. His use of adjectives and connotations give wonderful imagery that immerses the reader it its scenes. All of his diction is used to create an amazing scenery. Hemingway uses a formal way of diction and uses little to no connotation but his writing still creates imagery. He uses very little adjectives so instead he provides explicit depth to almost every detail he says. This invokes a lot of thought and does well to create a nice scene.
Passages from Martin Luther King are long in their length. In contrast Dickens in his passages about Oliver twist are the opposite. He is not too lengthy with his passages. Despite this Dickens sentences have a fair amount of detail in them while Kings do not have as much detail. Dickens describes a birth of a baby with great detail. While King talks of the struggles and oppression of African Americans. Dickens language was very abstract and seemed latin or greek in origin. Luther King’s language was a mix of Latin and French. Both of these passages used a somewhat similar language to get different messages across.
Even though Dickenson and Faulkner both are explaining a traumatic experience their word choice creates different tone for both the stories. In Burning Barn, Faulkner uses very direct languages to explain the situation very clearly. He uses words like “swirling roar”, and “tranquil” are used to contrast each other to show the severity of the situation. Dickenson is not that straight forward in her world choice. She uses suggested language such as “ushered into the world of sorrow and trouble” to create the feeling of the situation without directly saying, “He was born in a bad place.” She then builds hope with Oliver’s condition and hits you with the dingy imagery, “The patchwork which was carelessly flung over the iron bedside” These words are used for the reader to assume that the place is not well kept and that they are poor. While Faulkner uses his language to tell what specific actions the character was taking and thinking, Dickenson has her diction understand the characters placement in the world and a bit of foreshadowing.
ReplyDeleteEven though the passages have different styles and convey different ideas Hemmingway and Twain both create a sense of urgency. Hemingway uses short repetitive sentences in A Farewell to Arms to show that his character is urgent and his jumbled up thinking. His choice to have the thoughts of the father had the reader become more curious of his situation and his reason of his thinking. Twain also draws the reader in with his sentence structure but not with short repetitive thoughts but with many descriptions and a lot of fact and less perspective. With all the elongated imagery in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn it is easier for the reader to relate and imagine the situation and it would be harder to relate to the man in Hemingway’s novel.
Comparing Sentence Structure
ReplyDeleteBoth passage 2 and 4 explore the idea of abstract names in food like “perfect” and “organic”. Passage 2 uses periodic sentences to show the time passing throughout the trial and how long and tedious it was. It also uses colons to make that final punch at the end to give the news that the new industry did indeed win and went on to explain what happened because of it. Going through the lengths of the trial and then using colons at the end to make a point makes the end result more noticeable and Michael seems to want people to be upset about the sudden unfair solution. Passage 4 uses different sentence structure to get to that similar point. One of the strategies that this passage uses is listing. The list shows the three main things in a short list that makes it to the point and noticeably important to the reader. He lists again when describing his meal and that makes it seem like he messed up a whole lot of things. He also uses commas to separate certain parts of sentences like when he says, “So I seriously doubt that any of my guests, assuming I was out of earshot, would declare this a ‘great meal”. He uses the separated section here to clear something up for the reader which shows that the guests of the meal wouldn’t necessarily enjoy the meal, but they also would never tell Michael that because they were far too polite. Though the strategies are different, they both help support Michael’s main idea.
(I wrote this on The Omnivore’s Dilemma instead of on the small passages but you said it was okay so here it is)
Comparing Diction
Both passages three and one both share an overall goal, to get the reader to support healthy food and ethical farms. They both use different strategies to get this point across. Passage one uses imagery and loaded words to get the reader to really imagine themselves at the beautiful landscape of the farm. If the reader thinks that the farm is a beautiful place, as Pollan describes it, than they will be more likely to think highly of it and support the ethical life style that the farm creates. The words are descriptive to give the reader these thoughts. Passage three uses a quote to get the point across. By adding in the expert opinion of Joel he is creating support to his argument and gaining more trust in the readers. He uses casual diction in this passage to create an everyday type of conversation. It creates the illusion that Joel is an everyday guy and he is to be trusted. The casual language also makes it easier to comprehend than the scientific jargon that Pollan sometimes uses. Though both passages have different aspects they both achieve the same goal.