2.23 Diction Exercise

Alright readers, time for an in-class assignment. I only have 11 minutes left so right to work. The excerpt we were given from "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, in my opinion, has a low level of elevation for diction. Holden uses words such as "crap," "lousy," and "crumby" which come off as vulgar and abrupt. Likewise, the connotation of the words are very literal. There is no poetic meaning to the words. They simply mean what they say. They're basic and to the point. The concreteness of the poem is mostly on the concrete end rather than abstract. All of the things Salinger writes about are items we can sense with our five sense. The language is bland and improper. So, with that, here is my claim: "The stark and ordinary formality, connotation, and concreteness of 'The Catcher in the Rye' conveys Holden's attitude toward the world.