Style

a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to

form, appearance, or character: the baroque style;
The style of the house was too austere for their
liking.

 a mode of living, as with respect to expense or display.

an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living: to
live in style.
a mode of fashion, as in dress, especially good or
approved fashion; elegance; smartness.

 the mode of expressing thought

in writing or speaking by
selecting and arranging words,
considered with respect to
clearness, effectiveness,
euphony, or the like, that is
characteristic of a group, period,
person, personality, etc.: to write
in the style of Faulkner; a familiar
style; a pompous, pedantic style.

Detail

Steinbeck

Steinbeck loves details, and he doesn't deprive us

of them as he describes the Joads' daily lifestyle
and routine.
We know everything, from where Ma Joad keeps her
letters, news clippings, and trinkets, to the exact part
that is needed to fix the Wilson's touring car.

In fact, Steinbeck is so good at being

precise that by the time we finish The
Grapes of Wrath, we've earned our PhDs in
the art of auto mechanic repair.
Diction: Dialogue
His chapters that treat the Joad family are full of lively,
colorful dialogue that closely approximates the sound
and rhythms of the Oklahoma speech patterns. We feel
like we are right there, traveling alongside the Joads.

Steinbeck
Listen to the motor. Listen to the
wheels. Listen with your ears and
with your hands on the steering
wheel; listen with the palm of your
hand on the gear-shift lever; listen
with your feet on the floor boards.
Listen to the pounding old jalopy with
all your senses, for a change of tone,
a variation of rhythm may mean a
week here? (12.6)

Language/Syntax
The repetition of "listen" creates a
rhythmic quality, creates a sense of
movement in this moment, and we get
the sense that we are witnessing a kind of
heightened reality.
Effect
The narrator speaks in the second person,
addressing a "you," and, suddenly, we are
among the Joads and the thousands of
other families who have spent their
savings on buying a used car. Steinbeck
makes us feel like we are part of the story.

 those components or features of a

literary composition that have to do
with the form of expression rather
than the content of the thought
expressed: His writing is all style and
no substance.

Jeanette Walls
In her memoir, The Glass Castle,
Jeannette Walls uses a style that is
very descriptive.

This technique is extremely

effective at putting the reader into
the story and making the action
and scenery very believable.

Descriptive Detail
For example, when she describes the desert
area in which she grew up, she talks at length
about the "dry, crackling heat, the way the sky
at sunset looked like a sheet of fire....the sand
so hot it would burn your feet..." (Walls 21).
Effect
She uses storytelling devices to make her
story more pleasurable for others to read.
Sometimes the reader can even forget that
this is a non-fiction story, because she is not
simply relating facts, but is actually giving
them context.

Diction/Colloquial language
When she wants to capture the reader's
attention, she will sometimes introduce a brief
exchange of dialogue in short, pithy sentences,
using harsh or foul language that reminds the
reader that Walls' life was not a perfect fairy
tale.
For instance, she describes an exchange
between Walls' father and her grandmother
that uses phrases like: "You flea-bitten drunk!",
"You goddamned flint-faced hag!" and "You nogood two-bit pud-sucking bastard!" (Walls 20).
Effect: This wakes the reader up and alerts them
to face the reality of the author's life.

This same technique can also be used to

make the reader sympathize with Walls. For
example, she and her sister have a
conversation in which they discuss their
father's promise to stop drinking:
"I wonder what life will be like now," I said to Lori.
"The same," she said. "he tried stopping before,
but it never lasted."
"This time it will."
"How do you know?"
"It's his present to me."

Effect
This exchange, rather than being
disturbing or upsetting, is actually
very heartwarming. It reminds the
reader that, despite their many
problems, this is a family, and they
try their best to stick together and
make the best of what they have.

Writing about Style

Introduce text
Introduce style
Give textual evidence
Comment on the evidence
Give the effect the style has
on the reader (mood/tone).