Diction In John Ruskin's The Roots Of Honor

In The Roots of Honor by John Ruskin, it is expressed that the views society has will affect the purpose that each role in society is associated with. This hints that purpose can change base off the role and that it is almost everybody’s goal to find out what is their purpose. This meaning is revealed through diction in The Roots of Honor. In the beginning of the passage John Ruskin discusses the role of a merchant and the image that society has created of them. It seems that merchants are greedy cheats who economically hurt people through their selfishness. As he does this he moves to other professions like soldiers, lawyers, and physicians. For each professions John Ruskin states society’s necessity for each profession along with their duty.

John Ruskin then states that “It is the main question for the merchant, as for all of us. For, truly, the man who does not know when to die, does not know how to live” (22). The diction that is in this quote is evocation.

This is done through the use of words like “die”, “live”, and “us”. The use of us creates a sense that this quote refers to everyone and creates some type of connection with what is being stated. Another thing is that both “die” and “live” have the same series of words that come before them. Death is a strong word and even though it will happen to everybody, many people don’t accept the fact that life is short. Living life to the fullest is a goal that many people have because of the idea of death. This diction creates the idea that everybody wants to find their purpose through the use of “us”. It also suggest that by knowing one’s purpose will result in knowing one’s fate, which will lead to living life to the fullest. The idea of needing to learn one’s purpose creates the idea of its importance. People want to know their purpose because it is established by the views that society has of their role and it can change through experiences. John Ruskin tries to answer the question of what is the merchant’s purpose by discussing the functions it has in society. He also starts to talk about captains and the duties that are associated with that

profession. He states things like sinking with the ship and to share his resources with his crew. He also states that “…manufacturer, in any commercial crisis or distress, is bound to take the suffering of it with his men, and even to take more of it for himself than he allows his men to feel; as a father would in a famine, shipwreck, or battle, sacrifice himself for his son” (24).

The diction that is being establish in this quote is evocation. This is done through the use of the words “sacrifice”, “bound”, and “father”. Bound creates a sense that these duties are tied to the fates created by these professions. Sacrifice creates a sense of giving something more worth than one’s own life. Sacrifices are only made for things that have strong emotional connections and sometimes because it is a sense of duty. The role of a father is thought really highly and a special title that carries many responsibilities. It seems that the diction is making it seem that the responsibilities that roles have are impossible to escape. By stating “as a father”, which is something most can connect to, it creates a comparison to give a better understanding. The responsibilities of a father is something society has establish and that is “bound” to that role. By using a father as an example it is better to understanding of how society gives roles their purpose. The responsibilities bound to these roles is another thing established by

society. Every person seeks their own purpose as roles can always switch. Roles like a father or a captain have their own purpose and responsibilities that have been establish by society. By using the word “bound” it gives the feeling that the people in the role have no power to change the responsibilities tied with their role.