Journal #4

Chapter 7  Page 79

Syntax: The syntax is important especially in the beginning of the passage because most of the sentences are simple. I associate simple sentences with being tired and not really wanting to talk. So I think Hurston made most of the sentences simple to give the impression that the characters are tired not only because of old age, but also of their marriage. Later in the page when Janie is even angrier at Joe her sentences get more complex and I think Hurston did this to show that Janie is still young and has fight left in her.

Word Choice: The diction Hurston uses especially near the end of the page is important. When she writes "Then Joe Starks realized all of the meanings and his vanity bled like a flood," the word "bled" has several connotations. Whenever I think of blood I think of death, so in a way Hurston is showing that while Joe is losing vanity, he is also beginning to lose his life, and that comes up again later when he actually dies. Also bleeding generally has connotations of being bad, however bleeding in some cases is good, for example in the olden days people believed bleeding could cure illnesses and in today's society people give blood to save lives, so in that sense Hurston is showing that this moment is good for Joe and will help him grow as a person

Tone: The tone of the passage I think is dictated mostly by the syntax that Hurston uses. The short choppy sentences as opposed to long, elaborate sentences make the entire scene different. Again the short sentences give the passage a more tired tone, as a well as frustrated. Rather than getting incredibly angry the characters simply disagree with each other and jab at each other. Hurston does this to create a tone that allows the writer to connect with the scene more. Almost everyone can remember a time when they were tired and frustrated and rather than articulating a long and complex refutation they just simply disagree.

Sound Devices: Hurston uses and alliteration when she writes "You big-bellies round here and put out a lot of brag, but 'tain't nothin' to it but yo' big voice." The alliteration of "b" is used because if one looks at the shape of it, it looks like a body with a large stomach, I think Hurston used the b to keep the idea of large stomachs in the reader's mind without them actually realizing it. More specifically the alliterated b applies directly to Joe because Janie says he has a b "big-belly" so Hurston is characterizing Joe by saying he has a large stomach and then impacts it with the alliterated b.