My Name Diction Imagery Syntax
In the excerpt, “My Name” from Sandra Cisneros’ novel, “The House on Mango Street”, she uses specific diction, syntax, and imagery to create tone. The best example of this is in paragraph 3 when Esperanza talks about her grandmother. Using imagery for example, Cisneros paints a picture by saying, “My great-grandmother. I would’ve liked to have known her, a wild horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn’t marry. Until my great-grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off. Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier. That’s the way he did it…,” this helps the reader picture how her great-grandparents came to be and know a bit of Esperanza’s history. She also continues in paragraph 4 by saying, “And the story goes that she never forgave him. She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow.,” this gives the reader and image of how the great grandmother was affected and how her life was changed completely and gives the reader an idea of why Esperanza might not like her name. Now Cisneros uses a specific form of syntax throughout the excerpt. She writes fragments throughout the piece to give emphasis on certain ideas of importance. In paragraph 3, she simply says, “My great-grandmother.,” she wants the reader to understand what she wants them to think about and picture in that paragraph. She also says in paragraph 4, “Esperanza. I have inherited her name but I will not inherit her place by the window.,” at this point the reader can really understand where Esperanza is coming from and can kinda see why Esperanza might not like her name. That could also be an example of diction too because of how Cisneros’ uses words like, “Sadness...waiting...sobbing...bad luck…,” and things like that to give the piece a negative tone to understand and relate to the story better. All in all, the author of this piece had creative ways of incorporating specific imagery, syntax, and diction to create the ideal tone in this