An Analysis Of Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant By Ann Tyler

The layers of literature are so complex and extensive, that they must be peeled back and examined in order to understand the full effect of the novel. In the novel, “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant” Ann Tyler depicts a story with layers around each character and each plotline. By doing so, Tyler creates a timeless lesson about family, trust, and why morals and ethics should be followed. One passage in which these lessons become most evident is, “‘It’s not!’ he said. His voice was unusually high; he sounded like a much younger child. ‘It isn’t! Look at it! Why, it’s like a… concentration camp person, a victim, Anne Frank! It’s terrible! It’s so sad!’” (Tyler 203) The Tull family faces many adverse life changes, especially the children. This …show more content…
This is because of the great challenges faced in weaving it into the story subtly, but also noticeably and as effectively as the plot demands it to be. In this passage, Tyler projects Jenny’s transformation into adulthood by inflating Slevin’s shock beyond regular reaction to the situation. He reacts frantically to a photograph of Jenny as a grim, skinny child. Tyler writes, “His voice was unusually high… ‘...it’s terrible! It’s so sad!’ [he said]” This situation is made ironic by the fact that the reader knows that had Slevin known Jenny’s past self, her hollow face would not have seemed so unrecognizable. Before her marriage, it would have been more surprising to see Jenny as Slevin has always known her to be. In order to properly execute the process of irony, Tyler also uses vocabulary to put the right thoughts into the reader’s …show more content…
So many factors go into typing one word, including avoiding the overuse of a word, spelling, grammar, using it in the right context, relating it to the themes of the passage, and deciding whether or not the word is too complex or too simple, just to name a few. Tyler thoroughly completes this craft, by choosing words that fit their context and definitions perfectly. Tyler writes, “...he sounded like a much younger child...’it’s like a… concentration camp person, a victim…” (Tyler 203.) In this portion of the passage, Tyler uses words like “much younger child” to emphasize the fact that Slevin was frantic and unnatural in his reaction. She also portrays this notion by including dialogue like, “...concentration camp person, a victim.” This phrase shows that he is redundant and stuttering his phrase because it vividly envelops his almost frightened thought process. This word choice and analysis falls into the way that Tyler structures her