An authors
word choice is called . Authors choose specific words in order to create
meaning, and also to establish the mood or emotion of their work. You would expect something
interesting from a book narrated by a dog, I suppose!
Consider the word
melodramatic in the beginning of the book. Enzo is explaining that since he does not have
words, he must speak in gestures.
And while I occasionally
step over the line and into the world of the melodramatic, it is what I must do in order to
communicate clearly and effectively. (Ch. 1)
This is a
special word because it conveys not just drama, but an over the top type of drama that sometimes
is considered humorous. This word is used to indicate that we exaggerate emotions. Its choice
in the very beginning of the book indicates that the author will use words that seem
emotional.
Another good example of the use of an uncommon word is the word
polysyllabic, also found in Chapter 1. The word is used to explain the difficulties of being
a dog.
€¦ my tongue was designed long and flat and
loose, and therefore, is a horribly ineffective €¦ tool for making clever and complicated
polysyllabic sounds that can be linked together to form sentences. (Ch. 1)
The reader should know that polysyllabic means many syllables.
Enzo is complaining that since he is a dog, he cant speak like humans can. His tongue is not
designed for it. The use of this word here is wonderfully ironic, because one would not expect
a dog to have such a sophisticated vocabulary. It is also emotional, because it helps the
reader imagine life in Enzos shoes. This is further enforced when Enzo reveals that he is lying
in a puddle of his own urine.
Words are chosen not only because of their
emotional impact, but how they fit into the sentence. For example, an author might use a sound
device to bring the point forward. This is definitely the case with the repetition of
d sounds, known as , used to describe the end of the dogs life in the most
melodramatic way possible.
He would do it out of love, of
course. Im sure he would keep me alive as long as he possibly could, my body
deteriorating, disintegrating around
me, dissolving until theres nothing left €¦ (Ch. 1)
This is not a pretty picture, and the wordswhich all mean
breaking downallow the reader to soak up the drama. The alliteration contributes to the
emotional meaning and the , making us feel but also laugh.
Theof an old dog
describe the end of his life in sophisticated vocabulary helps establish Enzos character
immediately, and lets the reader know that this is not a typical book.
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