Cory Kim

AP Literature
Ruth May
Book 2:
Section 1
Diction: Father said that was because it was
two cents on the dollar, but they dont even
have regular dollars here.They use that pink
money (119)

Ruths implication that regular money only

originates from the U.S. portrays a supreme
voice over the Congolese, as they merely use
that pink money.

Syntax: My sisters feel sorry for the parrot

but I dont. I would have me a snake too if I
could, because Im not scared of them. (117)

Ruths mentioning of her sisters fear at the

start of her sentence and her declaration that
she wasnt scared at all at the end creates a
confident voice where she feels she is the
bravest.

Detail: The big huge house right there was

the hospital and they had a lot of white
people inside, and some other ones in white
dresses. There were so many white people I
forgot to count. (119)

Her surprised voice is displayed by her

description of seeing a large group of white
people in a long time.

Tone: It wont tolerate anybody else. Leah

said we had to name it Ricky Ticky Tabby but
no sir, its mine and Im a-calling it Stuart
Little. (117)

Ruths tone, specifically when she reject

Leahs name idea, indicates that she believes
Leah doesnt have the right to name the
mongoose.

Imagery: That white one knows whos boss

and all the others have to yell back because
they are the Tribes of Ham. But, boy oh boy,
let me tell you, they all have shoes. They
walk together hard in the road and then stop
so fast the dust comes down on their shoes.
(123)

A slightly impressed voice is expressed by

Ruth as she creates a mental image of how
they stop so fast that the dust comes down
on their shoes.

Figurative Language: When we came home

my sisters had to cut up my dinner every day
and help me get dressed. It was the best
thing that happened. (123)

Ruth expresses a satisfied voice when she

figuratively states that it was the best thing
when her sisters had to assist her cut her
food as a result of her broken arm.

Ruths condescending tones and descriptions of others, even her sisters, shows that she feels
she has more ability than most people, which is not atypical for a five year old.

Section 2
Diction: That is what happens to you if youre
bad and dont go to heaven, you go and get
burned up in the bad place instead. (157)

With a respectful voice when it comes to her

religion, Ruth chooses her words wisely to
avoid saying hell.

Syntax: The wall has square little holes and I

just wanted to see Nelson. I was bad.
Sometimes I prayed for Baby Jesus to make
me be good, but Baby Jesus didnt. (153)

Ruth has an apologetic voice, where she

uses syntax to emphasize her confession,
ending with ways she attempts to become
good.

Detail: Shes the one that wears the black

skirt with the great big pink star across her
bottom and a hairdo that looks like stars too,
sticking up ever whichaways. (156)

Ruth provides a rich description of one of the

Congolese women, creating a surprised voice
when talking about the womans appearance,
as it was flashy enough for her to recall
accurately

Tone: I told Nelson that Jesus is -way too big

to ride around in a little gree-gree. (155)

With a confident voice, Ruth uses a favoring

tone towards Jesus.

Imagery: When he gets up in the morning

first he washes his face out of a dingered-up
bowl in the chicken house and puts on his
pants and his shirt. He washes the back of
his neck with the pink hole in it till his skin
shines and water runs all down.Then he
looks at his clothes real hard and says a hex
before he puts them on. (153)

Ruths ability to create this image with

obvious signs of her knowledge of his daily
routines shows her interest of Nelson in her
voice.

Figurative Language: We were all scared

half to death and sat up waiting for her,
except Father, (157)

Ruth uses the common hyperbole to show

her worried voice, because she and her
sisters fear her father.

Ruth, using diction, tone, and syntax to show her dedication to Christianity shows her respectful
voice towards her religion.

Section 3
Diction: -

Section was 1.5 pages long couldnt find

anything without reusing quotes

Syntax: She threw her stuff on the ground

and said fine, then, she was going to go
drown herself in the river, but we knew she
wouldnt. Rachel wouldnt want to get that
dirty. (179)

Creating a humorous syntactical structure,

Ruth uses a joke to create a doubting voice,
as she knows Rachel is just being difficult.

Detail: She did it for all the others, even

Adah and her one foots no count; it curls up
and makes the shoe wear out funny. Even
that bad sideways-worn-out shoe Mama
made into metal and saved, so shell save
mine. (179)

A disrespectful voice is created towards Adah

when Ruth uses her as the example behind
her reasoning that their mother definitely will
metallize Ruths shoes, because Adahs
shoes were too.

Tone: She just stood with her face getting

smaller and smaller, and when you couldnt
see the airplane anymore she went in the
house and lay down on her bed. It was
morning, not night. Not even nap time. (180)

With a perturbed tone towards her mothers

behavior, Ruth creates a worried voice as her
mother is clearly in distress.

Imagery: The driver had on a white shirt and

Vitalis in his hair that you could smell. He
smelled clean. He had Experimint gum and
gave me a piece. He was a white man that
talked French. (179)

Ruth expresses a comfortable voice as she

creates an image of the clean white man.

Figurative Language: -

Section was 1.5 pages long couldnt find

anything without reusing quotes

Ruth May uses detail and a concerned tone to show that she cares very much for her mother,
and later expresses a worried voice as she recognizes that her mother is becoming very
stressed after the Reverend's flight.