Blog #2: Diction

· Vernacular: “’I bling litta table,’ he said, bowed slightly, and shuffled away,” (Steinbeck 159)

· Background: “Yellow hair” “young buck” “hoity toity” (Steinbeck 104)

· Imagery: “The whole valley floor, and the foothills too, would be carpeted with lupins and poppies… And mixed with there were splashes of California poppies. These too are of a burning color- not orange, not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of the poppies,” (Steinbeck 4)

An author’s use of diction can be useful in many ways. It can be used to describe where someone came from, his or her level of education, or even to make an image more vivid to a reader. John Steinbeck uses diction in exactly these ways in his novel East of Eden. Steinbeck uses diction to help create a stronger character by writing the words the way the character would say it. One of the characters, Adam Trask’s Chinese servant, Lee, said that he would, “’bling litta table,’” or “bring a little table” for Adam’s wife. By writing the words exactly as they sounded, this use of diction vibrantly colors Lee’s race and way of life. Similar to this, diction can also show someone’s educational background. When Charles Trask is talking to his brother, Adam, he uses words such as “yellow hair,” rather than blonde, “hoity toity,” when saying a girl is arrogant, and “young buck,” when describing young men. This shows his lack of a strong education by using made up words or unsophisticated language rather than words that would really describe what he intended to say in a more proper way. Diction can also be used when painting a scene. By using words such as “carpeted” and “golden cream,” in the passage on page 104, the reader is given a sense of luxury and comfort, which can help the author make the reader feel what they want them to feel.