word choice

Here is an excerpt from an essay I wrote last semester. The part I am sharing is about word choice, and how an author can use it.
The way any author places words in a sentence is vital to the total structure. Lorde’s unique choice of words creates a defined image in one’s head. For an example, “There were little violently yellow iced cakes with scalloped edges called ‘marigolds’”(567). All the reader can see is a little square, bright yellow cake, which immediately triggers a small craving for something sweet. These words she uses to describe the marigold cake make the first connection between the young girl and the reader. It gives one a sense of belonging, as if the reader is on the train going to Washington, D.C. as well. The author also uses diction to disguise the theme, by hinting at the fact that the family is black through her word choice. This quote is in the fourth paragraph of Lorde’s essay, “’marigolds,’ that came from Cushman’s Bakery”(567). If one previously knew the meaning of the word “cush”, which is black or burnt, the reader would realize when the author says “Cushman’s Bakery” (567) she is referring to the fact that the is family coming from a predominately black neighborhood. Once this is established one would realize that the family, too, is black. Lorde’s word choice works in her essay because it gives the reader a chance to stay tuned to the story, because it’s unpredictable and slightly misleading.
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