Craft Moves
Sentence Fragments
Page
Numbers
131, 134B,
136T, 140T
Short sentences
132B-133T,
135MB,138B,
140T
Asyndeton
130, 132M,
136, 140M
Out of place Coordinating Conjunctions
131B, 132M,
135M, 139M
Participial Phrases
130, 133M,
135T, 135B
140M
Explanations
Writers use fragments to enhance writing and draw specific attention to certain ideas
and imagery. Here, Stockett uses sentence fragments to give vivid imagery to the
situations that Skeeter is describing, as well as to connect ideas. She uses these quite
often because she writes in first person, and it allows the speaker to lend description
in the train-of-thought writing style that she uses. Other times, she uses fragments to
make quick connections as the narrator describes what they are thinking about and
how situations connect with each other. However, while they can be useful, if used
too often, they lose their effectiveness. They also are more appropriate in fictional
writing or narratives than academic writing.
Writers use short sentences to illustrate a point directly, or to help the flow of the
writing. Because she uses first person narration, Stockett also uses the sentences to
give quick spatial/situational description before a description or idea is expounded.
For example, when Skeeter’s truck hits a cat, the frequency of the short sentences
seems to mirror the frustration and thinking of the situation: “I groan and pull over.
I have to go check” (135). However, it must be remembered that short sentences
need to be used in moderation and in appropriate situations; using them too often as
a writer results in very choppy writing.
This is a term that refers to writers deliberately not using conjunctions between
commas. This is used to more closely connect clauses within a sentence, and in this
case also illustrates a continuation of the narrator’s thinking. Stockett uses them
throughout this selection to give vibrant description-often to Stuart before and
during her bad date with him-that demonstrate Skeeter’s thought process and
viewpoint. Ultimately, syndeton eliminates the formality of the language
(something that Skeeter doesn’t always use, partially because of her Southern
dialect), and bluntly lends description to the connected clauses, and this why it is so
useful in Stockett’s writing. While asyndeton can be very effective, it must be used
in correct situations within narrative writing, as conjunctions are important as well,
and usually should not be entirely omitted.
Writers use coordinating conjunctions to connect thoughts in a way that is more
intimate than just using a period or a comma to separate them. They usually allow
for clauses to be connected within one sentence. However, Stockett also uses
coordinating conjunctions to start sentences quite a bit. This is a way to give
emphasis to the next statement, especially when the next statement is in opposition
to the previous one. For example, on page 132, Skeeter is describing her insecurity
about an upcoming date, and Stockett uses an out-of-place co. conjunction to
illustrate this as Skeeter describes how perfect her date looks in a picture, and then
says: “But his body was half-hidden by the others. He must not have all his limbs.”
This works very well because Stockett has cast Skeeter as a young, skeptical
Southern woman who is very blunt and clear in her narration of the story. However,
it is important to remember that out-of-place coordinating conjunctions are useful in
narratives when emphasis is desired, but may not be appropriate in more academic
papers, or where very blunt emphasis is not desired.
Stockett uses participial phrases often, and they fit well into her first person, train of
thought writing style. She uses them mostly to give description to her characters and
to illustrate their actions in conjunction to their words, such as on page 140:
“William says, slapping Stuart on the back.” This syncs the action with the previous
statement in a very efficient and descriptive manner. Ultimately, participial phrases
are very useful to lend description, but can be confusing if used too far from the
subject they are describing in a sentence.