How Is The Colloquial Diction Used In On The Scarlet Letter
In D.H. Lawrence's critical essay “On the Scarlet Letter,” Hester Prynne is portrayed as Dimmesdale’s seducer. Hester Prynne is described as a “demon” and as the “greatest nemesis of woman” because she committed adultery. D.H. Lawrence focuses his essay around her sin rather than the consequences resulting from her sin. In order to display his purpose in a successful manner, he uses colloquial diction that involves repetition, terse syntax, and biblical and mythological allusions that stimulate ideas through imagery.
The colloquial diction throughout the essay allows D.H. Lawrence to use a sarcastic tone and display his dislike towards Hester Prynne. The author’s use of informal diction makes it very easy to show emotion that involves irony and sarcasm. Lawrence displays his sarcastic tone when he says “Adulteress! Abel! Abel! Abel! Admirable!” He uses the word
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Lawrence uses terse syntax as most of his claims are made with simple sentences and mainly derive from opinion. He replaces long descriptions with allusions, hyperbole, and symbols. He makes the reader figure out the deeper meanings in his claims. For instance, when he says, “Oh, Hester, you are a demon,” he does not explain why she is a demon in the sentence, but he is confident that the readers are able decipher it. Lawrence is calling her a demon since she tempts Dimmesdale into committing adultery. Just like the devil, she finds pleasure in ridding Dimmesdale of his purity. The concise quotation is sufficient to express Lawrence's claim without additional explanation. He also uses fragmented sentences in his syntax in order to convey the colloquial diction properly and to add an impactful ending to his claims. For example, he uses the phrase “All begins with A.” This line is a memorable alliteration that sums up his claim about the connection between the words Abel, Adulteress, Alpha, Adam, and America.
The biblical and mythological allusions in the essay help Lawrence depict
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