Syntax While on an adventure Sal and her grandparents use a variety of different sentence structures. A few examples are when Sal uses long drawn out sentences to describe her stories to pass time during the trip. She may seem to ramble at certain points when the story gets emotional, but you can tell that Sal is well educated even though she lives on a farm in Bybanks, Kentucky. Sal's grandmother, which Sal called Gram, speaks in short stints, but this doesn’t relate to her education. Gram speaks only to make comments or interjections on Sal's stories such as saying “Goodness!” or “Gol-dang!”(pg.25) Gram is also very sick throughout the book and mostly listens to the stories because she is too tired to make comments. Another type …show more content…
of structure is present when Sal gets excited or scared; the sentences shorten and you can feel the emotion and the quickened pace such as when they met the lunatic. “And then he left. He just turned around, walked slowly down the porch steps. Down the street. We waited until he turned the corner before we left. We ran all the way to Mary Lou's. Phoebe and I were terrified.”(pg. 45)The length of the sentences Sal speaks varies depending on the situation or emotion. Organization Sharon Creech, the author of Walk Two Moons, organizes paragraphs through chronological order with many flashbacks included within each chapter. The chapters would begin in present time and begin flashbacks as Sal tells her stories to her grandparents. The entire book is written with Sal being the narrative and telling multiple stories. Sal incorporates stories of the past into the present moment of her narrative, sometimes stopping to add a story as a means of explanation, or actually adding them into the narrative as an entry to a journal or a memory triggered during the course of the narrative. The narration rides up into the present and drives events and emotions of the entire story. Sharon Creech also includes poems or meaningful phrases into the story that do not affect the chronological order of the story, but could change the characters thoughts and provide another story for Sal to tell. Although this book is a fiction narrative, there is not a lot of character dialogue. Mostly, the dialogue between characters appear in the present time when Sal and her grandparents are in the car. This book is laid out in chronological order with flashbacks to help tell the story. The author gives the readers information needed about Sal’s life, but organizes it so the reader would be surprised in the end even though Sal knew the entire truth. Language There are many different uses of language throughout this book, mostly spoken with the use of southern slang. The characters that speak in this southern language are usually older or do not have the right education to know the right grammar. A few examples of southern slang are when Gramps speaks to his wife by calling her “chickabiddy” or “gooseberry”(pg. 4) and many other southern phrases. Sal's father uses a much different language than Gramps; he uses a formal language, indicating that he is smart and well educated. He is seen as the kind, caring, and wise figure in the story because he expresses his care for Sal by using strong words and patiently responding to Sal's ideas. Sal's teacher, Mr. Birkway, uses many omimatapias in his vocabulary. He is obviously excited about his job and loves to teach his students. He uses words such as “Dynamite!”, “Unbelievable!”, and “Incredible!”(pg. 199) when collecting the students journals, but also seems to have a good understanding on complex poems. Imagery The author of this book uses vivid words to paint pleasant images of what is going on in the book and describes the scenery so you could see what Sal saw on her journey.
The book also uses lots of figurative language such as “snake had a snack”(pg. 91) or uses phrases that are idioms like “spin us a yarn”.(pg 8) Gramps may use similes during the ride like saying “sometimes I am as ornery and stubborn as an old donkey”(pg. 7) and uses typical “old people” sayings. These phrases and descriptions really make this story come alive and plays with the heart. Many of the authors words are used for describing the overall nature and weather at Sal's home in Bybanks while she recalls to it multiple times in her story. Even the simple things could be made into a colorful image like “blackberries still shiny and wet from dew”(pg. 35) and many others that make this an award winning …show more content…
book. Details The author leaves out one very important fact throughout this story that may have been the reason that this book is so good. Creech purposely leads on readers that Sal is on a mission to bring back her mother from Idaho and reveals a shocking truth to readers that Sal's mother is actually deceased. Sal knows her mother is dead, but believes that she can bring her back home. Thus, the readers are so emotionally drawn into the story with Sal being confident on bringing her mom back that they do not realize her mom is dead because the author avoids telling the readers so. This is a crucial fact that completes the book and the reader gets a better understanding on what Sal has gone through to make her as strong as she is. Creech does give a few facts to help you have the knowledge of Sal's family background with the Native American culture and where she comes from. A couple of these facts allow the reader to grasp why Sal is so intrigued by her grandparents, nature, and life because she follows the way of Indians to appreciate the land. Diction Sharon Creech carefully chooses a variety of different words that can describe objects and adds the finishing touches to this book. She selects words such as “caboodle”(pg. 1) instead of group to allow the reader to better understand how Sal talks. Creech also includes Sal's Grandfather in choosing words to fit the character; Gramps has a nutty personality so the author has him use “ding-dong”(pg. 5) when talking about the country they were about to travel. He uses silly words throughout the novel to characterize his life. The names of Sal's grandparents are no coincidence either, “Gram” and “Gramps” is seen more childish than the formal Grandmother or Grandfather. Analytical Summary The two primary themes in Walk Two Moons, separation and love, are strongly intertwined. The first theme, separation, reflects the basic developmental task of youth: separation from the mother. Creech clarifies this theme for readers with Sal’s memories of her dog, Moody Blue. She remembers how Moody Blue would not let anyone touch its litter of puppies during the first week after their birth. Gradually, the dog allowed its puppies to be touched but would always carefully herd them back. When they were six weeks old, however, Moody Blue pushed them away. Sal thought that Moody Blue was terrible, but her mother explained the dog’s behavior by telling Sal, “They have to become independent. What if something happened to Moody Blue? They wouldn’t know how to survive without her.” (pg. 245) Walk Two Moons examines the related themes of separation and love through the stories of Sal and Phoebe. Their mothers have all left home, either temporarily or permanently, and, as Sal gives voice to her own thoughts and experiences or tells her grandparents the story of Phoebe, readers come to realize that Sal's journey is actually the process of her letting go of her mother. We see many different definitions of love in Walk Two Moons.
There's Sal's love for her mother (which is mixed with anger too). There's the love between Sal's parents. There's Sal and Ben's new love for each other and Gram and Gramps Hiddle's true love for each other and for their son and granddaughter. All these different types of love can get a little complicated, and Sal learns quickly that love doesn't always work out the way she thinks it will. It doesn't always move in straight lines. Most importantly, Sal learns that she can't take love for granted. Such as the love that was evident between Sal's parents, the love that is present in the Finney household, and the love that develops between Sal and Ben. Separation from others and growing apart, both as a natural part of growing up and unexpected
separations
In this short, but charming story, Amy Tan uses imagery to bring the story to life. With figurative language, the reader is immersed into the Chinese culture and can better relate to the characters. Tan main use of imagery is to better explain each character. Often instead of a simple explanation, Tan uses metaphors, similes, or hyperboles to describe the person, this way they are more relatable and their feelings better understood.
Salt to The Sea is a book by Ruta sepetys about 4 people trying to escape the grasps of the russians and in the case of Florian the nazis. They cross the countryside and land at a port. On the way there they lost people and possessions. When they get to the boat they get hit by a torpedo and 2 of them die, Alfred and Emilia.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
First, the authors use imagery to express their ideas and emotions through their poems. Within Bruce Dawes poem Drifters, there are forms of imagery through the use of connotative words like "Green tomatoes", this suggests something premature, which the author could be trying to tell us that there is an uncertain future. Next Dawes writes "Ute bumps down the drive", this is the use of imagery used to tell us that life is not always smooth and easy. Furthermore Dawes presents us with further
In the story Canyons, one technique the book uses is descriptive language. ¨There was no moon, but enough light came from the stars so that his eyes grew used the darkness he could see the canyons moving up into the sky.¨ The quote is showing descriptive language because it´s describing what Brennan's eyes saw in the sky, he says how the only light that he saw in the sky were the stars, it was dark because the moon was gone, and it was so dark the only thing he saw was the canyons going up to the sky.¨ Dust and sand so thick, they had
The next literary device to be discussed is imagery. As previously stated, many sentences could serve as excellent example of imagery, however the sentence that most portrays an idea is on line 40; “The slop was sweet and gold-colored in the afternoon sun.” The line tells you how messy the pie was (slop), and then to tell you exactly what the pie mess looked like, it tells what color it was, and if the environment affected its color (gold-colored…afternoon sun). The idea behind Mr. Soto’s usage of imagery may seem simple, but it makes sure that the point is carried across to the reader.
In the short story,’’Checkouts,’’ the author uses figurative language such as similes, imagery, and hyperboles. In structure, using figurative language allows the reader to understand the story better and make it more creative, along with it becoming interesting. For example, on (page 47), it states, ”Like a Tibetan monk in solitary medication, she calmed to a point of deep,deep happiness.” Next, there is also imagery in the short story. An example of imagery in the story is how the narrator describes when the girl and the bag boy meet for the first time. “She interested him because her hair was red and thick, and in it she had placed a huge orange bow, nearly the size of a small hat” (47). For example, there is also some hyperboles in the
The Lovely Bones’s combination of themes work together to expose the raw emotion of a family in pain over the death of a precious loved one. The first and most significant theme to be presented in the novel is that of mortality. Throughout the novel, as Susie looks back over her violent death and its effects on her family, she makes a point that when someone dies, that person's desires and needs pass over with them into the afterlife (Thomas). For example, from watching her sister and Ruth Connor, she realizes that the concept of love is something she still wishes she could have, even in heaven. Her sister Lindsey meets a boy by the name of Samuel, and Ruth grows closer to Susie's first real crush, Ray Singh. These observations by Susie almost
Rachel Anderson Date: 2/15/18 Analyzing Figurative Language For this essay I will be analyzing the poem “A Voice” by Pat Mora. The theme of this poem is that you must speak up for what you believe is right, despite your fear, and despite how long it has taken you to do so. Pat Mora used similes and metaphors to convey the tone of the poem, which is that of pride in her mother.
Metaphors and Similes are often used in this story, so the reader has a better image of the setting, this is something, and I find Connell did incredibly well, for instance when he refers to the darkness of the night like moist black velvet, the sea was as flat as a plate-glass and it was like trying to see through a blanket.
The most prominent example of this is the imagery of the wallpaper and the way the narrator’s opinion on the wallpaper slowly changes throughout the story; this directly reflects what is happening within the narrator’s mind. At the beginning of the story, the narrator describes the wallpaper as “Repellent.revolting. a smoldering unclean yellow” (Gilman 377). As the story continues, the narrator starts to become obsessed with the wallpaper and her opinion of it has completely changed from the beginning. Symbolism plays a big part in “The Yellow Wallpaper” too.
Imagery is used quite a bit when Goodman is in the forest “darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest”, Also selective description is used as well “beheld the figure of a man, in grave and decent attire, seated at the foot of an old tree” this is very important so that the readers understand where he is going, also so we are able to feel his urge to leave the forest to get back to faith. Repetition is used when Goodman Brown states “Too far! Too Far” letting the reader know that he frightened of the of where he is being taken. Reading the story I find that there are plenty of similes such as “Mingled with fine wheat and the fat of a new-born babe” this is important because it shows the evilness of the old man who when talks to Goodman Brown begins to loosen his
Love has a powerful impact on the characters and their emotions. Nick is one character in particular that is affected negatively by love. Nick does not seem to care about his relationship with Jordan, absent-mindedly ignoring her to keep up with Gatsby’s affairs. This causes the relationship between Jordan and Nick to fade, and Nick to get hurt. “Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.” (Fitzgerald, 177). This love has caused a mix of emotions for Nick as he cuts off the connection with Jordan. Nick abuses love by not caring enough nor putting in enough effort to make the love last; as a result, he has to turn away from her and deal with confusing emotions and a lost love.
Another scene I particularly enjoyed was the scene in which a large cask of wine had dropped and broken in the street. Because many people had very little to eat or drink, a large crowd gathered around the dirty puddle and began drinking what they could of the spilled wine. This scene was very descriptive, explaining how the people tried to scoop up the wine in their hands, and how they soaked it up with handkerchiefs from women's heads and squeezed the wine into infants' mouths. Other people licked the stones in the street or sucked on the pieces of wood from the cask. This passage showed how unfortunate many of the people were, without actually saying that they were just poor. Specific words and phrases were used to effectively paint a vivid picture of the scene.
However deep these descriptions of setting and character pull you into the plot, the dialogue the author places in the story is what makes the story more impressive and impossible to escape. It is so captivating and original to us because we hardly ever hear it, and the phrases are very creative. An example is this quote from Long John Silver: " But for two year before that, shiver my timbers! the man was starving. He begged, and he stole, and he cut throats, and starved at that, by the powers!" The colorful language of the book even had me repeating phrases such as this one long after I had finished reading it.