Question

Consider the language in the statement from page 81, "But the stillness was the sleep of swords." What are the connotations of this description? How does the use of alliteration increase the effectiveness of the language?

Answer 1

Answer:

Jody's embarrassment and rage at Janie or publicly insulting his manhood lead to a silent treatment.  

Alteration establishes a mood when the repeated sounds are soft or make use of internal sounds.

Explanation:

Alliteration can also be referred to as consonance when the in repetition is a consonant or it can also be assonance when there is repletion of vowels sound. Assonance tends are more subtle, like the melody in music, while consonance is often more rhythmic.  

Alliteration brings in the sounds of the world around us and allows a reader to hear as well as see or think or feel.

Answer 2

Answer and explanation:

Consider the language in the statement from page 81, "But the stillness was the sleep of swords." What are the connotations of this description?

The connotation of "But the stillness was the sleep of swords" is that Jody (Joe) is giving Janie the silent treatment after she questioned his looks and masculinity in front of other men. Janie is the main character in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God". She is an African American who, at this point in the plot, is married to Jody. He is an abusive husband, constantly humiliating her in front of others. When she, however, strikes back, he decides to be mad at her by going to sleep in a different room and not talking to her. The author says such silence is just the sleep of swords because, to others, it may look like they are not fighting, but even if the swords aren't moving, the fight continues in a different way.

How does the use of alliteration increase the effectiveness of the language?

In this excerpt, alliteration happens with the repetition of the "s" sound. It evokes a sort of softness, as if someone were whispering. It helps language be more effective in the sense that readers can imagine how silent it is.