In the story "Tepeyac" by Sandra Cisneros, Cisneros uses syntax and diction to make the reader well informed. Leaving your hometown that you love and coming back to the same town that is not recognizable would be really hard. In the story, the "grandchild, the one who will leave soon for that borrowed country" comes back to her town and everything has changed, The town this girl is from has many traditions and holidays they celebrate. The grandpa of the girl is not familiar with her. Leaving the town doesn't make the girl think about the traditions she is going to be leaving. Not knowing returning will be the hard part the girl leaves for the borrowed country. While the author used syntax and diction she informed the reader about
The author uses diction and syntax throughout her work by making extremely long sentences and using some Spanish parts in the story. In "Tepeyac" Sandra Cisneros talks about her memories as a child with her grandfather. Later on in her life, she goes back to the town where she created all her wonderful memories. She starts exploring the neighborhood she grew up in by saying "This is when I arrive, one shoe and then the next, over the sagging door stone, worn smooth in the middle from the huaraches of those who have come for tins of glue and have their scissors sharpened, who have asked for candles and cans of boot polish, a half-kilo sack of nails, turpentine, blue-specked spoons, paintbrushes, photographic paper, a spool of
She had been in New York for quite some time, doing well in school and with a brand new best friend. When she returned to her grandparents, she nurtured her grandpa in his last moments, and when he had taken his last breath a little bit of Jacqueline had slipped away as well. It isn’t that she hadn’t cherished the time with her grandfather, but as if his death was too sudden, and when she had started to really find her way in New York and South Carolina began to fade into a memory, the news was a wake up call.
of the native tongue is lost , certain holidays may not be celebrated the same , and American born generations feel that they might have lost their identity , making it hard to fit in either cultures . Was is significant about this book is the fact it’s like telling a story to someone about something that happened when they were kid . Anyone can relate because we all have stories from when we were kids . Alvarez presents this method of writing by making it so that it doesn’t feel like it’s a story about Latin Americans , when
Ha describes the papaya that Miss Washington gave her is, “Not the same, but not bad at all” (Lai 234). Papaya represents home, hope, and that things are getting back to normal. Amela says, “Some people here don’t even know where Bosnia is but they’re really nice and try to help” (Brice 25). Although people are unaware of what is happening in her country, people are still kind to her and they try to help her. In addition, things for Amela is much easier and comforting since the people are nice to her, also they don’t judge her and put her down. Things are different from before, when “someone is always saving seats for Ha, Pem, and Steven; the huge cousin, who now not only smiles but waves at them” (Lai 229). Ha is making new friends and additionally, people are showing friendly gestures when waving and smiling them spots in the cafeteria. All in all, refugees lives turn “back again” when they adjust well and comfortably with the help of kind people. Ha begins to fit in and feels less of an outcast since she has
In the work of Amy Tan’s “Mother’s Tongue” she provides a look into how she adapted her language to assimilate into American culture. She made changes to her language because her mother heavily relied on her for translation. She was the voice of her mother, relaying information in standard English to those who were unable to understand her mother’s broken english. She tells about her mother’s broken english and its impact on her communication to those outside their culture. Her mothers broken english limited others’ perception of her intelligence, and even her own perception of her mother was scewed: Tan said, “I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mothers ‘limited’ English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say.” (419) The use of standard english was a critical component to Tan’s assimilation into American culture. Standard English was an element she acquired to help her mother but more importantly is was an element that helped in her gain success as a writer. Tan changed her ‘Englishes’ (family talk) to include standard English that she had learnt in school and through books, the forms of English that she did not use at home with her mother. (417-418) Tan realized the ch...
Jimmy Baca’s story “Coming into Language” describes his emotional childhood and what he went through while in prison. At seventeen Baca still didn’t know how to read or write. Throughout the story, he shares his struggle with language and how prison eventually brought himself to learn how to read and write. Jimmy Baca then uses examples in his story explaining how he admired language and used it to free himself from the cruel world he grew up in.
Utilizing effective diction is key as Welty to put together the mosaic of memories that illustrates the intense presence of reading in her life. Her use of diction pulls the reader into the scenes, it makes them real. When she describe the library the wording allows to hear “the steady seething of the electric fan”, the harsh tone of the librarian’s “normal commanding
Annie was from a poor family and lived on an island with her parents. Her dream was to travel to England for college. However, she cannot leave without sacrificing her comfort zone. Her parents, the island, her bed, the sound of her mother gargling at night; everything at home is her comfort zone. She needs to leave that behind to pursue her education in England. She does leave, but she still struggles. In the beginning, she claims she hates everything on the island. She is so eager to leave. Yet, her mood changes once the time comes for her to board ship to England. “My mother and my father—I was leaving them forever. My home on an island—I was leaving it forever” (Pg. 41). Once she realizes she will not be returning, she feels
In addition to diction, a specific technique for syntax can be seen throughout the conversations the narrator has with Fortunato.
Weslaco is a small town which is great, it’s where all her friends live and where her life is. She loves it here and it being a small town has taught her to appreciate the little things in life, but this has not impacted her life the most. You see Rebecca has learned the most from her parents, most importantly her dad. Their marriage was not perfect, in fact it was broken. This marriage took away her innocence at a young age and taught her that reality
...ght to America" (31). The trip she makes finally helps her to understand just where her mother was coming from, why she was the way she was, and she began to forgive her for all the misunderstandings they had.
The Author uses these examples to give us a way to see descriptive language in short novel.
Tan details her embarrassing teenage experiences with her mother's English by using effective anecdotes. Affected by the perception of others, Tan felt her mother's English was shameful (Tan 14). She recounts an incident with a stockbroker who was incompetent due to her mother's "impeccable broken English". Having to call the stockbroker and pretend to be her mother then accompany her mother to see the man, Tan exhibited a tremendous amount of mortification for her mother and herself. Following this account is another, describing difficulties at a doctor's office, again, due to her mother's English. Because of the previously stated distress, the account bears the same tone of voice. Through the use of anecdotes, Tan portrays her mother's small
Her mother tells her that she will adore it. That it is a welcoming small town, and everyone there loves Christmas, and it would most certainly do Jenna Louise some good to get into the Christmas spirit. Her mother tells her that they will be moving in one week, that they needed to begin packing because it is a four-day drive. She does not tell her the name of the quaint little town, because she
In the beginning of the story we are introduced to a young girl and the setting for the story is laid out. It is through the setting and background information we can compare life to today and the way we live. The young girl is traveling through the woods with her grandmothers cow at dusk. “The woods were already filled with shadows one June evening, just before eight o'clock” (Jewet) The girl is about the age of nine and she is