"Ariphrades ridiculed the tragedians for using phrases no one would employ in ordinary speech [...]. It is precisely because such phrases are not part of the current idiom that they give distinction to the style."
--Aristotle, Poetics
"I could write a novel about the children of the barrios along the river Rímac; but only photography, and no other language, could express the pain of that child's eyes, of those tears mixed with blood."
--Augusto Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed
In other words, language matters. Words and phrases and sentences are not mere vehicles for ideas: depending on how things are worded, they can take on completely different meanings. Meridel Le Sueur was very aware of this. The Girl, as you may have noticed, makes very intentional use of language in conveying characterization, plot, tone, and social/political issues to the reader.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT is to (1) choose ONE SENTENCE from Chapters 1-19 of The Girl, in which you find a strong connection between the language being used (word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, etc.) and the content you think Le Sueur is trying to communicate to the reader, and (2) post a CLOSE READING of that sentence, 300-400 words in length (as usual), in which you analyze it and demonstrate how Le Sueur uses language to put her thoughts, issues, and arguments accross to the reader.
Leave no word, phrase, or punctuation mark unturned! I encourage you to think about the terms and concepts we've introduced in class, and how they might help your analysis. And let's aim for a range of quotes from a range of places throughout the first half of the book -- it'll help us do a better analysis in class next week.
As usual, feel free to get in touch with any questions or issues.
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