Journal 1 and 2

Journal 1.

The narration differs greatly from the dialect used in the book. The narrator speaks eloquently through out the book, utilizing similes and metaphors to often convey complex ideas. The dialect in the book was not as well spoken as the narrator but the reoccurring slang terms help portray an image of what the education was like for Southern African Americans after the Civil War. The characters often made references to religion and current events (from the timeline of the book) to help convey their ideas and emotions; while the narrator seemed more detached from the story giving a more descriptive view of what was happening. There are multiples effects created by this contrast of writing styles. The book can be viewed from different perspectives since there are multiple writing styles at use. Each writing style has something unique to offer to the developement of the story; one a general understanding (narration), and the other an emotional understanding (character dialogue).

Journal 2.

The setting in this book is key to the text. Since the story takes place in the South the characters speak with a Southern dialect. Since the African-American Civil Rights Movement has not yet arrived the African Americans in the South are uneducated and discriminated against. The characters are shaped out of their setting. Nanny who was a former slave constantly worries about Janie's safety and wants her to get married so she can be protected, this is probably because her own daughter was sexually assaulted around the same age as Janie. Janie's lack of a father and mother may be the root cause of her loneliness and her reason for getting married. The atmosphere seems to be one of despair since Janie is unhappy with her marrige, her grandmother has just died, and she she is discriminated against for being a African American woman.