Favorite Diction Paragraph

In the excerpt from the novel Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Salinger’s slightly vulgar, familiar diction depicts the ill-educated, juvenility of the narrator. At first, the character introduces the reader to the point of the passage. The character “[doesn’t] feel like going through all that crap” of describing his life and “what [his] lousy childhood was like” because he is a lazy youth and possibly has poor writing skills if he must rely on vulgar words. Words such as “damn near” and “crap” are straight from the vulgar lexicon of immature teenage youth, hence emphasizing the narrator’s juvenility. Then the teen bounces around topics from an autobiographical style to the purpose of his writing to randomness about his brother, “D.B” who’s “in Hollywood without describing them very well. That isn’t too far from [the narrator’s] crumby place.” The vulgarity of the familiar diction highlights the juvenility of the undereducated narrator.

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BINGO!

1. rule 3: too vague when discussing the negative connotation http://amandaprindle.blogspot.com/
2. rule 8: punctuation goes inside quotation marks: "towering volumes of marble and glass",             http://runskunkrun.blogspot.com/
3. rule 6: avoid the verbs "use" and "shows." uses very low and denotative words http://vikingdeathmetal.blogspot.com/
4.  rule 3: too vague  http://xchoosier3366.blogspot.com/

Practice Diction Analysis

Nicholson Baker's formal and controlled language depicts an imagistic, yet literal, setting.  Nicholson describes the escalators as "a pair of integral signs swooping between two floors they served."  This stiff description contrasts with imagistic comparison, stating that the handrails are "like the radians of black luster," offering a figurative twist to the business-like latter.

Currently

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Pages this week: 301 pages
Pages this semester: 1818 pages

Top 3 Sentences

1. In Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road, the straightforward descriptions of the stripped wilderness give the text a minimalistic feel and forcing attention to the rare dialogue between the father and son. (Norwegian Wood)
2. In Light in August by William Faulkner, he utilizes a connotative sense of language illustrated in his poetic phrases and figurative diction. Faulkner also incorporates a sense of humor into his writing giving it a light tone.(As Told by Ginger)
3. 1984 by George Orwell uses straightforward and exact diction, colloquial formality, and dull sound to create a harsh feeling for the reader, much like how Winston feels the chill of the bright cold day and the enormous eyes of the face watching him. (Lucky)

What?!? ANother games?!?

Katniss is supposedly safe from future sufferings.  Shes set up with a new house, plenty of food, and immunity for upcoming Games.  Safety immures her in a clean, shiny prison.  She occasionally goes hunting with Gale, providing for his family, but life seems strange.  Peeta professed his true love for her and Gale obviously has feelings for her too.  Shes conflicted with these two men, thus adding a third dimension to the story's plot and storyline.  Also, I feel that the scent of President Snow provides a further insight into the complexity of every situation in the book.  It says he smells of blood and roses, two obviously conflicting themes.  I feel that the blood symbolizes and foreshadows the upcoming blood shed in the rebellion, as well as Snow's malicious attempt to control Katniss in her travels.  The roses on the other hand protrude with the feeling of corrupted love; how Katniss will be forced to choose between the two men she has feelings for.  Also, I feel that it symbolizes the attempt of the Capitol to put a cut little spin on their disastorous and harmful actions toward the people of Panem. 

The Quarterly Quell is a Hunger Games with a twist that occurs every 25 years to further imbue the citizens with the harmful repercussions associated with defying the Capitol.   President Snow states that all past victors would be in the Reaping to compete in the Quarterly Quell meaning that Katniss will be forced back into the arena.  Peeta goes back in too.  His goal is to keep her alive while her main goal is to keep him alive because of his ability to speak and potentially lead a rebellion against the Capitol.  Things to not go as planned...Dunh dunh duh Oh snap! Cliffhanger!! GET AT ME!!

Hunger Games is AWESOME!!

All I've got to say is wow! The Hunger Games Trilogy is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.  I love how the characters evolve throughout the novel without really losing the essence of values.  The confusing love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, I find, really captivates the reader by twisting and turning the relationship inside out every chapter or so.

Style Mapping

In Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy utilizes a lower elevation, giving common details to set up the plot such as when he states, "The candleflame and the image of the candleflame caught in the pierglass twisted and righted when he entered the hall and again when he shut the door." William Faulkner incorporates a harsh sound to his opening page when he writes, "She had never even been to Doane's Mill until after her father and mother had died."  George Orwell gives a denotative connotation in his novel 1984 when he gives a straight forward account of the Hate Week when he states, "It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate week."

Quarterly

This quarter has been amazing! I have read more than I think I've ever read in my life.  I surprised myself with reading a whole 300 page book on the first Friday that the reading was assigned.  Reading the controversial, blunt writings of Chris Crutcher opened my eyes to the gamut of emotions that can be experienced through reading.  His use of vulgar language and difficult subjects, really allowed me to experience what other people's lives are like.  Then, after reading 4 of his books, I began to read the Hunger Games trilogy.  I read these novels mostly during my assistantship 1st period, in the backroom, next to the distilled water maker, bringing a jolt and excitement to my day.  I think these books have been the most enjoyable novels I have ever read with intense, suspensful action lurking behind every corner.  I think my goal for the rest of the semester will be to finish the Hunger Games trilogy, and discover a new author.

New Book

So I started the second Hunger Games this week, and I really enjoy it already.  The intense action of the first book has yet to come, but has been foreshadowed many a time so far in the novel.  The President is very angry with Katniss for "thwarting" and "rebelling" against the Capitol with her and Peeta's romantic end to the Games.  Now she lives a victor in Victor's Village, confused about the life she now needs to lead.  Her relationships are deteriating: Gale is distant and Peeta will not speak to her or look her in the eye.  Katniss and Gale, I believe, belong together.  They have known each other for a long time, and have relied on each other for food and safety in the illegal boundaries of the woods.  Gale made a move, kissing Katniss, but both of them acted like it had never happened and went their separate ways.  Also, during the Games, a rumor was spread that Gale and Katniss were cousins, further complicating their relationship even further.  They were able to share secrets to each other before the Games, but now everything is mainly work between them. 

The President visited Katniss smelling of "roses and blood".  I felt that this was a weird combination of smells, giving the fact that they can be conceived as polar opposites.  Roses symbolize a blossoming love, while the blood symbolizes death and pain and suffering.  I believe the author inserted this into the novel because she wants to emphasize the importance that Katniss and Peeta continue their blossoming romance, but with the fear of numerous deaths if they do not succeed.  The Districts are beginning to rise in an uproar and defiance toward the Capitol.  The president threatens Gale's life if she does not do as he says.  He even knows about Gale and Katniss's kiss and their hunting together...I thought that was kinda creepy.

Reading

The Hunger Games is quickly becoming one of my favorite books.  I have found that through this reading requirement and books I have chosen to read, I have become more knowledgeable on the various outlooks on life that different characters and personas (vocab lol) possess.  And its all thanks to Mr. Hill.  Thanks Mr. Hill!!

The Hunger Games

What would you do if the people in power told you that your younger, weaker sister was going to have to train for a week and then fight against boys and girls from other Districts to the death?  Oh and not to mention they will probably be twice to three times her size.  I would like to believe that I would step in for my younger sibling, take her place, knowing that I probably would not make it out alive.  Just knowing that she would be alright would ease the pain and worry of the oncoming death.   That is what went down in the Hunger Games, a new book I started reading, and really enjoy.  Katniss is a hunter, a survivor, desiring to stay alive in the worst District in the country of Panem, which is controlled by the Capitol.  See there was a rebellion by the Districts, 13 at the time and 12 now, and the Capitol emerged victorious, making it mandatory for a boy and a girl from each District to fight in what they call the Hunger Games, a brutish struggle to stay alive in an unknown arena deep into the Capitol.  Well, Prim, Katniss's sister is chosen to be in the Hunger Games, even though she is 12 and not very capable of fighting.  Katniss on the other hand is a master with the bow and has been providing for her family for the duration of the time elapsed since the death of her father in a terrible mining accident.

Katniss goes into the Games not expecting much.  I mean c'mon.  Your gonna go against some of the toughest, meanest, and well-trained teenagers in the country.  She is paired with a boy from her District that saved her life once and now feels indebted to him.  Great...a weakness already.  She tries to forget it, and eventually just uses it as motivation to win the Games.

Throughout the process, their mentor, Haymitch, a drunken victor of a past Hunger Games, pushes them closer together.  How would you feel if you had to become allies with someone you knew, or thought, you would have to kill or would die somehow in the Games?  I kept trying to picture this in my own mind, and could not seem to wrap my thoughts around it.  It just seems too difficult, too heart wrenching.  I think the reason they do this though is for them to receive more bonuses in the Games when they need it from donors and sponsors.

I really have enjoyed this novel so far, and cannot wait to read more, and perhaps move onto the next book in the series soon.  I am telling you, you should REALLY read this book.  IT IS INTENSE!!!!