RCL #3 – It’s What I Do

While reading Addario’s book I’ve noticed how easy it is to read and how well she creates an image for the reader. Her word choice is often times very casual and it feels like someone talking right you. Her choice of certain words can often create a scene that can easily be imagined. “Alyssa was wide-eyed and manic, convinced the Taliban were coming any minute. She chose the ledge outside our window as an escape route; if they came, she said, we would crawl along the narrow ledge and jump to the next building only a few feet over.” This small paragraph really stuck with me because of the phrase “wide-eyed and manic”. Words/phrases like this grab your attention and really giving you more of a feel for the emotions of a character and I think Addario does a great job of this throughout her story. Also when talking about Alyssa’s escape route I could really get a sense of their fear and anxiety.

I can use word choice to make my blog more exciting and also easier to imagine what I’m trying to describe. Some people might think of socks as boring. With my blog I want to show how fun and interesting socks can be. I get excited when I get a new pair.

When talking about socks there are two major things that I will need to get across often; how they feel and how they look. Using certain words I can give a more accurate description of the socks. While I will provide pictures of some of the socks it is important that I use word choice to help my audience imagine the socks. I’ve worn many different pairs from many different companies. All brands feel different and have different styles. Lots of my socks have very detailed designs. I could simply say that I have a pair with breakfast foods on them. It would be better however to say “I have a pair of socks with various breakfast foods spread across a black background. Sprawled across the socks are a fat stack of syrup-covered pancakes, crisp bacon next to sunny-side-up eggs, and a side of steaming coffee”.

One thought on “RCL #3 – It’s What I Do

  1. I agree that Addario’s use of colloquial diction creates a rapport with her audience. Addario’s word choice in the passage you discussed employs pathos, and you did a good job at analyzing the emotional impact of her description of Alyssa. I wish, however, that your post included just one more excerpt from the passage to reinforce this idea. Nonetheless, you accurately identified the intimacy that Addario attempts to create with her reader in order to illustrate and capture the life of a woman running away from the oppressive Taliban. Overall, this was a very vivid section of the book to select.

    As for how diction applies to your passion blog, I’m excited to read how you implement fun, interesting language to describe socks. Your topic is very unique and I hope that each post is quirky yet engaging. Do you plan to focus on a different style of socks each week? I think your idea of how socks can say a lot about someone’s character is well-developed and insightful. I look forward to reading more.

    Billy

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