Diction

Diction

            Sylvia Plath creates a variety of unique tones through changes in diction. At the very beginning of the book, she foreshadows Esther’s eventual problem by saying things like “when I was all right again” (3) and “I knew something was wrong with me” (2). This diction was declaratory rather than immense in feeling which demonstrates an unfeeling tone. After the first introduction, Sylvia Plath imitates a young teenage girl’s careless persona in order to show Esther’s normal happier state, using general vocabulary and educated but not very high diction. When Plath creates quotes for the other girls and when Esther verbally speaks in the book, she uses colloquialism and such terms as would be expected from young women in that time period such as “’Isn’t he a card?”(15) and “What are you sweating over that for?” (5). She achieves a lighter tone in the beginning by using this innocent vocabulary based mostly on girls’ accessories like make up and handbags. As the book progresses, Plath gradually changes the connotation of her words making them more negative and therefore causing the tone to also become more depressing. She also uses the word “safe” a lot, talking about how when she is in a room with no windows or using a fake name she feels safer. The obsession with safety creates an anxious tone, in an attempt to create how Esther probably would feel in the situation of fearing for her sanity. This anxiety contrasts with the normally uncaring or depressed tone that the speaker normally has, but continues the pattern of negativity that Esther follows. Near the end of the book, Esther’s word choice becomes more mature and more positive. Her similes are with happier subjects and lead to a more hopeful tone to the end of the book.