 |
|
|
Table of Contents | Downloadable/Printable Version OTHER ELEMENTS USE OF LANGUAGE Maya derives the title for her autobiographical tale from a poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. It is an appropriate title, for Maya effectively portrays images of restrained freedom through the book. In spite of her imprisonment to life, caused by being poor, black, and female, Maya still learns "to sing" or succeed in life. MayaÂ’s language, which is largely that of a young girl, is touching in its simplicity; but it is also filled with rich and dazzling images that effectively capture both the joy and suffering of her childhood. Maya uses a variety of techniques to characterize and bring to life her past. Her memoirs are recorded in a naturalistic manner using anecdotes, dialectical variations, Biblical allusions, and other literary styles. Her language is appealing not only because of its attention to detail but also because of the use of comic relief. VOCABULARY LIST ad hoc - put together casually; improvised adios - Spanish word for goodbye arabesque - a graceful stance in ballet bonita - Spanish word for pretty borracho - Spanish word for drunk Brazos - a river in Texas cat-o-nine-tails - a leather whip with knotted strands, meant to hurt the victim and leave marks on his body cater-cornered - on the diagonal clabbered milk - milk that has soured and curdled Como esta usted? - How are you? in Spanish coq au vin - a French dish in which chicken is served in a wine sauce cotelette Milanese - a French dish in which the chicken breast is pounded thin, coated with crumbs, and baked in a butter sauce cracker - a negative slang word used by blacks to describe bigoted whites
djinn - a spirit whose purpose is to help humans Donde esta mi padre? - Where is my father? in Spanish Donde vas? - Where are you going? in Spanish esposita - Spanish word for young bride foÂ’ bits - fifty cents Gladstone - a type of luggage gracias - Spanish word for thank you juice harp (JewÂ’s harp) - a musical instrument that is held between the teeth and vibrated to make twangy tones juju - a type of magic liniment - an ointment used to treat strains and sprains mercados - Mexican markets mournerÂ’s bench - the front row in the church that is reserved for people who are suffering from problems and need special prayers mumbledypeg - a game where the participants flip a knife trying to make it stick into the ground la nina - Spanish; the little girl padre - Spanish word for father paisano - Spanish word for peasant pedal pushers - a style of womenÂ’s pants that stop at mid-calf Pig Latin - a supposedly secret language for children, where they put the initial consonant plus ay at the end of every syllable of a word. Spoken rapidly, Pig Latin can be hard to decipher. For example, "come fast" would be said "omecay astfay" in Pig Latin. pince-nez - small eyeglasses that are used for seeing things up close and that are worn on the end of the nose. pobrecita - Spanish word meaning poor little thing policias - Spanish word for police officers pollo en salsa verde - a Mexican dish in which the chicken is cooked and covered in a green chili sauce Que tiene? Que pasa? Que quiere? - What do you have? WhatÂ’s happening? What do you want? in Spanish Quien es? - Who is this? in Spanish risco - Spanish word for cliff Rye-al-toh - the mispronunciation of a movie theater that is really the Rialto, named after an ornate bridge in Venice, Italy senoritas - Mexican word for young, unmarried women six bits - seventy-five cents teenincy - a slang work for tiny tithe - 10% of a personÂ’s income, which is supposed to be given back to the Lord (church) in appreciation for His many gifts Zapata - a well-known 19 th century Mexican revolutionary
Table of Contents | Downloadable/Printable Version | |
