Use the passage from Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind below to answer questions 1 and 2.

Question

Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes - each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands. Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas. Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs.

From the time I was really little - maybe just a few months old - words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade. I could almost taste them. They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance.

My parents always blanketed me with conversation. They chattered and babbled. They verbalized and vocalized. My father sang to me. My mother whispered strength into my ear. Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered.
Question
Write a RARE response in which you explain how the author's word choice impacts the tone.

What can you tell about how the narrator feels about words?

Answer 1

The author's word choice in describing words as "sweet, liquid gifts" and "each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands" creates a tone of reverence and appreciation. The narrator clearly feels a deep connection to words, describing them as something precious that she cherishes and holds onto. The use of phrases like "jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance" and "drank them like lemonade" further emphasizes the importance and value of words to the narrator. Overall, the tone conveyed through the author's word choice suggests that the narrator feels a profound love and gratitude towards words.