#10: Diction and it’s effects on writing

Shakespeare and his typical “thou”s and “thy”s. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his typical formal “It seems to me after a careful examination of the…”. In To Kill A Mockingbird, the slang and jargon used by the main characters adds to the Southern Alabama vibe. There are many examples of unique diction in literature. 

Obviously, the language used throughout a piece can dramatically change its tone. For example, in “The F Word”, Dumas doesn’t hold back on sarcasm and hilarious comments, like "My father suggested “Fifi.” Had I had a special affinity for French poodles or been considering a career in prostitution, I would’ve gone with that one". We can all agree that this made her narrative much more enjoyable. 

Setting also plays a giant role in tone and diction as well. For example, a story set in 1800s London would have a stark difference in language from a story set in 2000s New York. What I find interesting, though, is that diction is so transparent that we wouldn't need a clear indication of the setting and time frame, to know those details - if that makes sense. For example, without knowing that The Great Gatsby is set in 1920s New York, we can still infer that through the language and description of clothing, etc. 

So, what does this all mean? Why did I make this the sole theme of my blog this week? We may look at sample essays in class and think "wow, that essay has some incredible word use, making their piece way more effective!". Yes, the diction makes their essay more effective, sure. But, there is so much more to the concept of language and diction that we tend to take for granted. We see Shakespearan Language and stray away, terrified. We see southern slang and assume the novel is set in the South. Unfortunately, we don't appreciate the effects of language on writing as much as we should. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't have had that hour-long discussion in English class about sarcasm and tone, right?