The kind of shoe Eva might have worn, but only one.Continuing to keep our focus on language, can you find an example of diction (word choice) that seems to stand out or matter? What makes it stand out or matter? OR find an image that seems to matter, and explain why. As usual, if yours has been taken already, try to take another, unless you have something new or substantive to say.
You've been doing a good job.
One more thing: I said in class that Sula would come into the next section. I misremembered. Sula the character enters the story on page 49.
16 comments:
On page 33, I find this passage to be an example of an imagery, "He cried and fought so they couldn't get much down his throat anyway. He seemed in great pain and his shrieks were pitched high in outrage and suffering. At one ponit, maddened by his own crying, he gagged, choked and looked as though he was strangled to death." I say because I can picture the it in my mind. The author shows the pain of what the baby, Plum, is going through. She makes the reader feel sad for the baby, because he is in pain. When you read this passage, you can almost hear the baby crying and see whats going on by the way the author writes.
Hey Everyone,
I am going to go with answering the question on imagery that I found. The sentences that I thought were a good example for imagery are, "Dewey one was a deeply black boy with a beautiful head and the golden eyes of chronic jaundice. Dewey two was light-skinned with freckles everywhere and a head of tight red hair. Dewy three was half Mexican with chocolate skin and black bangs." I found this as a good example of imagery because the reader really has the opportunity to read these sentences and imagine three young boys walking out and having these strangers stare at them and decide whether or not they would like to "purchase" them as their child. Something else that I noticed was that the first two boys were not "Perfect" for Eva also. Maybe I am jumping way out of the box here but the first boy had a look in his eyes as if he had CHRONIC jaundice. The second boy didn't have any medical problems, but he seemed very "White" looking. The last boy seemed like he was ok and it seemed as if he would fit in well with their already established family. So, I thought that maybe the saying of "The third ones the best" could play out here. I don't know, but that was one of the first things I had noticed. These sentences really offer the reader the opportunity to think in these ways and also in my opinion do a wonderful job of helping the reader further understand what is happening and what these characters are seeing standing in front of them.
Have a GREAT weekend everyone.
Hey everyone,
So the diction I found was, "There were very few black families in those low hills then." I found this certainly interesting because previous in the story it wasn't really talking about race. Up until that moment it was talking about how Eva had children, what there names where, and about her husband. Race did not seem to matter nor play a part. However it was obvious important to the author. Eva's husband had just abandoned her and her family, and all she had left were a few pennies and a microscopic bit of food. I was getting more and more interested in the story as descriptions kept going on. However once the "black family" comment was made, it pulled me out of the story. I was just, above anything else, confused. I am also very confused on why this whole book is taking place around National Suicide Day. It's brought up so often and I literally can't figure out why. Can someone please help me understand? Thanks! I look forward to reading what all of you have to say!
Hey Guys
I found a good use of diction, I think :)
"Whatever the fate of her lost leg, the remaining one was magnificent". We later find out that she sold her leg essentially, to get some amount of income that comes each month or so. I think the fact that she said that her remaining one was magnificent says a lot about her character and who she is. This shows that she is completely willing to make sarcrifices for her family and she is a strong/loyal woman that would do anything to support her family. When I first read this statement, it really stuck out to me because it made me feel so strong, and it forced me to believe that it must take a lot of guts to say something like that. I think it's very important to understand Eva's character as the story progresses, because she continues to show her attitude brightly and willingly.
Good afternoon all!! I found an example of diction (and also a bit of imagery) on page 33. "...but to come home dragging three young ones would have to be a step one rung before death for Eva."
I liked the metaphor that Morrison has used here. She suggests that Eva is already dangling just above the point of death and/or ruin, and while returning to Virginia would be beneficial for her economically, she could not drag a young family so far as it would be too stressful, and possibly be humiliated or judged by those at home. Doing that would put her in a place danerously close to either figurative or literal death, and therefore chose to leave her kids behind. From this sentence, I got the feeling that Eva was holding onto what little she had for dear life and was dangling over some firey pit of failure. I thought the metaphor and word choice were highly effective.
Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend! :) See you tomorrow!!!
"They all had the impression that they were looking up at her, up into the open distances of her eyes, up into the soft black of her nostrils and up at the crest of her chin."
This is on page 31. I think this is sentence successfully creates imagery. It also is interesting in the few sentences before it that everyone feels or imagines Eva as being someone you have to look up to, someone who is greater. But this sentence uses details to describe what one might see looking up at Eva, even if in reality adults and those standing were looking down.
hey.
On page 34, "She wrapped him in blankets, ran her finger around the crevices and sides of the lard can and stumbled to the outhouse with him. Deep in its darkness and freezing stench she squated down, turned the baby over on her knees, exposed his buttocks and shoved the last bit of food she had in the world up his ass."
Eva used the last bit of food that she had to try and help survive, she was being very nurturing and motherly which brought a new dimension to her character. This is an unusual circumstance which could crumble a society and she is trying to do everything she can to help him survive.
The line, "A liquid trail of hate flooded her chest."
I liked the author's particular choice of words here (diction), especially in the use of the word flooded. It helps me relate to exactly what Eva was feeling here. The author accurately describes what it is like when one gets that overwhelming feeling of emotion that actually floods though your chest. I love how she refers to hate as a liquid substance. It really seems to capture the realness of the emotion and the sudden hurt and anger that Eva felt that caused her to suddenly realize that it was hate that she felt towards BoyBoy.
It was a good descriptive line that I liked.
hakuna matata
My favorite piece of diction which creates imagery is on page 38 "slowly each boy came out of whatever cocoon he was in".
This is a particularly interesting sentence to me simply because it shows how each of the boys "bloom" when they come into contact with Eva. Also I enjoy how Toni Morrison is able to create the idea that the boys become something better by meeting Eva and that they become more and more singular as opposed to individual.
Hello,
"The wagon was so low that children who spoke to her standing up were eye level with her, and adults, standing or sitting, had to look down at her. But they didn't know it. They all had the impression that they were looking up at her, up into the open distances of her eyes, up into the soft black of her nostrils and up at the crest of her chin."
My apologies that it is so long. I am only working with the last sentence but I thought for contextual reasons I should add the rest so it would make sense. I feel that this represents a good example of imagery. The "open distances of her eyes" give Eva a sense of wisdom and knowledge. The "soft black of her nostrils" creates an image of a middle-aged black woman with beautiful skin and knowledge in her eyes and the crest of her chin gives her an image of strength. This small description brings about the image of a wise, knowing woman who has strength within herself. It goes along with the author's sense of pride in the black race.
Thanks
"Underneath all of the shine she saw defeat in the stalk of his neck and the burious tight way he held his shoulders."
I find this diction interesting the way Morrison is expressing Boyboy's sudden appearance as if he feels the pressure of remorse and defeat being carried on his back.
While I found wonderful explorations of diction. I am overwhelmed with imagery when I read this book. My favorite use of this literary tool would be on page 36.
"Underneath all of that shine she saw defeat in the stalk of his neck and the curious tight way he held his shoulders. "
I just feel this accurately describes a person who went threw what he just went threw. I really saw that he was trying to put on this facade of shine, but not only that he was defeated, but that Eva noticed it. That she is able to observe others and form a opinion. That the way he held his body suggested different emotions, like curiosity and defeat with a false air of pride. I just think this sentence is jammed pack with imagery and insight. Wow. I loved this sentence
"He sent the deweys out for his liquor and spent most of his time in a heap on the floor or sitting in a chair staring at the wall."
I think this line is good imagery because it's easy to see how he's just a drunken mess. "A heap on the floor" can be pictured as him passed out and him sitting in a chair is his depressed lack enthusiasm for life. Alcohol is his way to not feel.
"a dewey- joining with the other two to become a trinity with a plural name."
I like the authors use of word choice in this paragraph because it gives us a clear image on Eva's thought of the Dewey's. "Send me a Dewey." Whenever Eva needs someone to do her work she calls over the deweys. they act as her slaves and get whipped if they do something wrwong.
("I'm me," she whispered. "Me."
Nel didn't know quite what she meant, but on the other hand she knew exactly what she meant.) (page 28)
I thought this was a very interesting quote because it gave me a sense of what Nel was feeling. It was an unclear but sure thought in Nel's mind that was telling her she wanted to be different than her family, and wanted to be her own. She felt love for her mother but was embarrassed by her and hurt by the impression she gave to the men on the train. Earlier she had vowed to never let a man look at her like that and melt her into something so insignificant and unwanted. The strength Nel felt when saying she wanted to be "me" was just the opposite of the heart wrenching feeling she had on the train. It was empowering and helped to convince Nel that those feelings of embarrassment were her mother's fault and she should not be ashamed of herself because she was different. As she grows up she can learn from what she doesn't want to be and avoid that feeling of weakness.
Pg30
Sula Peace lived in a house of many rooms that had been built over a period of five years to the specifications of its owner, who kept on adding things; more stairways- there were three sets to the second floor- more rooms, doors and stroops.
I find this passage to be an example of an imagery. I can easily
picture how Sula Peace has lived what kind of background because
place where people live is very
important to qualify their characteristics or social status.
I also get a good imagery of how the house look like and the aura of the breeze and everything just by reading the sentence. I could picture the colors and frames of the stairways and doros.
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