90 likes | 114 Views
No, you don’t have to write this down. The Manipulation of Language. (a closer look at The Awakening ). Diction.
E N D
The Manipulation of Language (a closer look at The Awakening)
Diction • “She was rather handsome than beautiful. Her face was captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features. Her manner was engaging.” (II, para. 2)
“handsome” • Denotation: impressive appearance • What are the connotations of “handsome”? • What does is mean to be a “handsome” woman? • What does it mean to be a “handsome” man?
“beautiful” • Denotation: aesthetically pleasing • What are the connotations of “beautiful”? • What does is mean to be a “beautiful” woman? • What does it mean to be a “beautiful” man?
Diction and imagery • “She was rather handsome than beautiful. Her face was captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictorysubtle play of features. Her manner was engaging.” (II, para. 2) • What is suggested by these images and the use of the word “contradictory”?
Put it all together… • Chopin makes the distinction between “handsome” and “beautiful” here. Both words suggest that Edna is not unattractive, though they suggest being “engaging” for different reasons. She is not the double-take girl. She is attractive precisely because she is not. She is approachable – her features lead you to feel approached by her, welcomed. Her features are “contradictory” to her “expression,” which could be interpreted in two ways: she has a playful personality that belies her frankness of appearance, or she has playful features that belie her “expression” of personality.
Now you: • If you need more examples, review the handout. • In pairs, identify quotations of significance from the book so far. • Discuss and interpret them; make notes in your text. • Choose two to write full paragraphs about.