Focus - word choice, tone, purpose
In Make Lemonade, the author uses a whole bunch of literary techniques to make her story a lot more sentimental. For example, the tone that I have mostly seen throughout the text is really pitiful, until the end of the chapter. I feel like the author is now making a transition to a resolution. In the beginning of the story when I was learning about the setting of Jolly's place, the author described it as a building that is "broken-down looking." She goes on to talk about the inside of Jolly's apartment by saying that it is "disorderly and it smells. But I can see right away there's a lot causing it." To me, this makes me feel really pitiful because she described the place really badly, and then says that she can see what is causing it; her kids. This shows that Jolly isn't really a fit mother because she is only 17 years old, and has two kids, with a temporary job. Reading this makes me feel really bad for Jolly.
The author, Virginia, also uses the the technique of word choice. I feel like word choice is the biggest "helper" for this story. She uses word choice to described setting, create dialect for the characters and uses it to describe actions. Jolly, one of the main characters, is 17, has two kids; a girl and a boy, and doesn't have an education. Instead of saying that Virginia shows that she doesn't have education by giving her specific skills and a specific way of talking. For example, in one part of the book when Jolly and LaVaughn are making a list of possible jobs for Jolly, Jolly can't spell the words, "neighbors", "exactly", "loan", and "exterminating" correct. Because of the lack of education, Jolly doesn't talk with proper grammar. Jolly loses a lot of the job opportunities because of the way she speaks. I think that by adding all of this, the author creates a more vivid picture of the characters and the problems each of them are facing.
Make Lemonade is a fictional story, and it's main purpose is to entertain a reader. At this point, even though I'm about halfway into the book, I still don't for sure, know the theme in the story, so I'm not sure the theme of the story. I was actually doing a bit of extra research and I found a interview with the author; Virginia Euwer Wolff and she said that this story was something very sentimental that was an idea that she got out of the blue. I find that very interesting because with a story like this I would imagine some kind of background, like a personal experience, I would never imagine this type of book to be an idea to entertain people from no where.
Good blog this week. I like how you say how the author's writing style heavily effects the characters and how descriptive they are.
ReplyDeleteI think that by adding that Jolly cannot spell those words, it adds that she is in a very difficult place. Like you said, by not being able to speak properly, she won't be able to get a job, and without a job, she'll have a difficult time raise her children. Did she never get an education or did she stop going to school at a certain grade?
ReplyDeleteI think it is insane how Jolly had two children! I do have to say that word choices is very essential like the "biggest helper" as you said. Do the two children at least go to school? Does Jolly ever consider going back to school? It is sort of odd that the author had no connection to this since it is realistic, but I mean ideas can come from anywhere. Does Jolly "make lemonade"? Amazing blog!
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