How do academic factual texts differ from texts of fiction in ways of style? To demonstration whether such differences can be deduces, the literary style of Samuel Johnson’s preface to his dictionary and Gertrude Stein’s story of ‘Melanctha’ will be compared. Carefully analysing the difference between the two works down to even word level will show if any similarities exist. The stylistic level will be the main focus of the analysis based on two passages chosen which can be found in the works cited list. Evidently, Johnson would desire to show off his dictionarial abilities since his preface to some extent serves not only as a selling point but also as proof of how a dictionary enriches the owner’s life and vocabulary. To come off as academically …show more content…
This is the exact opposite case with ‘Melanctha’ where the same words are repeated in what could almost sound trance-like, ‘Rose thought it would be nice and very good […] he was a good man […] and got good wages’ (my italics). In what seems an attempt to increase the mysteriousness of the undiversed text of Melanctha, sentences are some times more likely to be separated by a comma or simply an ‘and’ than by a full stop, creating run-on sentences. This lowers the stylistic level of the text since it appears unprepared and almost childish, which is only emphasised by the ommitance of synonyms. Of course, Johnson does not even once seem to make a single mistake, in a grammatical sense at least, and every sentence seems perfectly shaped to his design. Though his sentences might be long, they are supposed to be, which is reflected in the structure of his sentences. While Melanctha’s story is narrated with a use of endweight where the sentences nexus are placed at the very end, Johnson tends to do the opposite, which
The word choice throughout the last four paragraphs must have been very deliberate. The decision for the story to be a short story must have been a very conscious one that Baldwin made. He uses only what is necessary and combines musical terms and common speech to pack the myriad of emotions evoked into as few words as possible. The narrator never really verbalizes the actual feelings that he or his brother feels but rather lets the readers see them and feel them for themselves through the images he portrays and the history attached. Much as music infers emotion through the gut rather than the ear and gives you shivers without saying a word at all Baldwin's descriptions convey maximum emotion with minimal language.
Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. The Oxford English dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1989.Print.
Updike, John. "A & P." Literature: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 5th ed. New York: McGraw, 1998. 27-31.
An example of the author’s use of formal diction is when he includes the word indolent in a sentence. By using intelligent words such as this one, the author appears to be highly educated making him an exceptional source of information. An audience is more likely to listen and agree with an author that sounds perspicacious and credible. The author continues to establish formal diction by including the words demure, languid, disillusioned, indolent, and bumptious. All of these words allow the audience to understand how educated the author is, persuading them to agree with the author’s claims about laziness and its benefits. In addition, this word choice strengthens the author's argument and emphasizes its importance. When the author demonstrates words such as these, he appeals to the audience by sounding informed on the topic making his claims stronger. This passage relied strongly on diction to support the author’s main claim about how it’s better to be lazy. As the essay goes on, Morley continues to use strong diction throughout the paragraphs. For example, in the fifth paragraph, the author includes the words, perplexities, quibble, dignified, repose, and keem. These words improve the quality of Morley’s essay and make it much more compelling to readers. The audience is more likely to agree with the author’s statement when he uses words
In the first paragraph, Johnson displays thoughtfulness of the mother’s feelings, describing the hope she has in him as a “species of happiness” and then gently and gradually disappoints her, saying her hope will result in “disappointment” which is why it is “dangerous to indulge.” However, in the second paragraph an accusatory tone is effectively conveyed by drawing attention to how absurd the mother’s demand is by repeating how the mother wants him to “solicit” the “great” archbishop and ask him to fulfill a favor to a stranger. Johnson employs a sensitive tone in the beginning paragraph followed immediately by a accusatory tone in the second paragraph in order to accommodate various responses to his letter. This shift in tone between paragraphs distances Johnson from the blame of his denial, and gradually places the fault on the
Rice, Philip. and Patricia Waugh, eds. Modern Literary Theory. 4th ed. New York: Oxford UP,
Jokinen, Anniina. "Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature." Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. N.p., 1996. Web. 9 Nov. 2013. http://www.luminarium.org/
Cuddon, J.A., Revised by C.E. Preston. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. 4th ed. London /GB: Penguin Books Ltd, 2000. N. pag. Print.
Samuel Johnson in response to madams request to have him seek the archbishop for her son to enter the university denies this request in a well-constructed argument. Johnson’s refusal is supported through the use of definitions, diction, and the appeal to logic. These rhetorical devices play an important role in conveying Johnson’s unwillingness to complete the woman's task.
Diction plays a critical role in the development of the tone in a story. The type of words the author uses directly leads to the tone of the entire literary work. If ...
Writers throughout history have always influenced or have been influenced by the era that which they live in. Many famous authors arose during The Age of Discovery and The Romantic Period all of whom had very distinctive writing styles that held true to their era. To find the differences between the two eras, it is important to understand the era at which time the literature was wrote, the writing style, and the subject matter.
Raman Selden, Peter Widdowson, and Peter Brooker. A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. 4th ed. London: Prentice Hall and Harvester Wheatrsheaf. 1997.
Through the fixed exclamation of moods this individual likewise felt, the reader was able to recognize the progression of emotions felt. Furthermore, this precise usage of diction allocated the many perceptual dispositions, one should experience in his or her lifetime. Finally, with also switching the point of views concluding this excerpt, Johnson created a sense of how deeply & severely this event was traumatizing. Amidst the brilliant enunciation of language this 1700 writer proclaimed, he conjointly employed elevated and purely intentional diction, to form a piece worthy of epitomizing the opposing situations of
Pearsall J (1999) The Concise Oxford Dictionary Tenth Edition page 286 by Oxford University Press in Oxford New York, America
- - -. “Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800.” http://go.galegroup.com. N.p., 1988. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. .