“Dinner Dandruff” by Robert Fulghum is a humorous essay. It is about the gross responsibilities people take on when they grow up. The style of this text is funny and light hearted. To determine the style of a text identify the author's use of diction, syntax, and imagery. Throughout this essay, there are many examples of these elements of writing.
Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing. The author has a formal tone in his writing. For example when the author said, “A rational, intelligent, objective person would say that this is simply a mixture of food particles…”(Dinner Dandruff) he sounded smart and official. This is because of his word choices like “rational” or “objective person”. If the author used words like “smart” or “unbiased” he would not sound as intelligent in his writing. This would give him a different style of writing.
Syntax can also determine an author's style. The syntax is the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence. A good example of this is when the author tells the readers about how is mom cleans out the sink. He says she would “reach into the sink with her bare hands—BARE HANDS—and pick up that lethal gunk”(Dinner Dandruff). The author in all caps mentions the mother's bare hands to make the tone more dramatic adding to the humor effect. …show more content…
Imagery is when the author is visually descriptive or uses figurative language. This helps us paint a picture of what is going on. In the text, imagery is used often to describe the food at the bottom of the sink. The author has us to believe “That stuff in the bottom of the strainer is toxic waste—deadly poison—a danger to health”(Diner Dandruff) when in all actuality it is only food. This imagery helps readers understand how awful the author thinks this gunk is. This helps to create humor because readers can relate and find it funny that they used to believe
Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing. The author has a formal tone in his writing. For example when the author said, “A rational, intelligent, objective person would say that this is simply a mixture of food particles…”(Dinner Dandruff) he sounded smart and official. This is because of his word choices like “rational” or “objective person”. If the author used words like “smart” or “unbiased” he would not sound as intelligent in his writing. This would give him a different style of writing.
Syntax can also determine an author's style. The syntax is the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence. A good example of this is when the author tells the readers about how is mom cleans out the sink. He says she would “reach into the sink with her bare hands—BARE HANDS—and pick up that lethal gunk”(Dinner Dandruff). The author in all caps mentions the mother's bare hands to make the tone more dramatic adding to the humor effect. …show more content…
Imagery is when the author is visually descriptive or uses figurative language. This helps us paint a picture of what is going on. In the text, imagery is used often to describe the food at the bottom of the sink. The author has us to believe “That stuff in the bottom of the strainer is toxic waste—deadly poison—a danger to health”(Diner Dandruff) when in all actuality it is only food. This imagery helps readers understand how awful the author thinks this gunk is. This helps to create humor because readers can relate and find it funny that they used to believe