Analysis Essay
Santa Ana Winds
In the excerpt from Joan Didion’s essay “Los Angeles Notebook”, Didion conveys an unpleasant tone towards the Santa Ana winds by her use of diction, selection of detail, and facts.
Didion uses negative diction to convey her view of the Santa Ana winds. Joan begins this excerpt with such words as “uneasy”, “unnatural stillness”, and “tension”(1-2). Starting with these words sets that the tone is not positive and neither is her view towards the thing that is in the air. Reading the word “uneasy” creates tension to the situation in the essay. Describing the way the winds affect people Didion conveys her unpleasant tone by adding this word of “unmanageable” when describing the kids. The change in weather greatly affects the mood and behavior of people in the environment of these Santa Ana winds.
Didion’s use of selection of detail and facts about the Santa Ana winds shows the truth behind the unpleasant tone that Didion has. During the winds “one woke in the night troubled not only by the peacocks screaming in the olive trees, but by the eerie absence of surf”. This shows that all things are affected by these terrible winds. Didion sees the unpleasantness of the winds and she “could see why”. Her views of these winds are as unpleasant as the people around her. Didion states facts that “Switzerland the suicide rate goes up during the foehn”. This fact shows that the behavior of people if affect by these winds. The Santa Ana winds are a foehn so this weary fact shows that this higher rate of suicide happens where these winds are found. Didion views this facts, like the winds, uneasy. A physicist found that during foehn winds, and after, “the air carries an unusually high ratio of positive to negative ions” and “an excess of positive ions (...) make people unhappy”. Didion’s selection of this fact, she further conveys her unpleasant tone towards these winds. Didion backs her point of view with these facts.
The Santa Ana winds make Didion have an unpleasant tone. She conveys this tone through the use of harsh diction, selection of detail, and facts.
In the excerpt from Joan Didion’s essay “Los Angeles Notebook”, Didion conveys an unpleasant tone towards the Santa Ana winds by her use of diction, selection of detail, and facts.
Didion uses negative diction to convey her view of the Santa Ana winds. Joan begins this excerpt with such words as “uneasy”, “unnatural stillness”, and “tension”(1-2). Starting with these words sets that the tone is not positive and neither is her view towards the thing that is in the air. Reading the word “uneasy” creates tension to the situation in the essay. Describing the way the winds affect people Didion conveys her unpleasant tone by adding this word of “unmanageable” when describing the kids. The change in weather greatly affects the mood and behavior of people in the environment of these Santa Ana winds.
Didion’s use of selection of detail and facts about the Santa Ana winds shows the truth behind the unpleasant tone that Didion has. During the winds “one woke in the night troubled not only by the peacocks screaming in the olive trees, but by the eerie absence of surf”. This shows that all things are affected by these terrible winds. Didion sees the unpleasantness of the winds and she “could see why”. Her views of these winds are as unpleasant as the people around her. Didion states facts that “Switzerland the suicide rate goes up during the foehn”. This fact shows that the behavior of people if affect by these winds. The Santa Ana winds are a foehn so this weary fact shows that this higher rate of suicide happens where these winds are found. Didion views this facts, like the winds, uneasy. A physicist found that during foehn winds, and after, “the air carries an unusually high ratio of positive to negative ions” and “an excess of positive ions (...) make people unhappy”. Didion’s selection of this fact, she further conveys her unpleasant tone towards these winds. Didion backs her point of view with these facts.
The Santa Ana winds make Didion have an unpleasant tone. She conveys this tone through the use of harsh diction, selection of detail, and facts.