What’s in a Name? :: Personal Narrative Writing

Whats in a Name?My pascal has this old Bill Cosby picture that he used to listen to in the age of record players (now hes got the in truth same in CD version). It was a comedy routine in which Cosby describes his childhood. He reminisces in particular about how he could tell when he was in trouble. His father would say something to the effect of GODDAMIT, GET OVER here(predicate), and then Cosby throws out the punch line of the story Up until he was about ten years old, he thought his hear was GODDAMIT. I never had to be addressed as GODDAMIT to know I was in trouble. In my fathers voice, it was volume that usually revealed this information. When my eardrums hurt from hearing my name, my FULL name, JANET PAULINA MORRIS, my dad didnt want any other poor children within earshot to hypothecate they were in trouble however, he did intend for everyone within a five-mile spoke to hear that I was in for it. When my mother had to call out my name in order to reprimand me, even if it wa s in private, she had to pretend we were in church or something. Her voice became very low pitched, almost a whisper, and then came the recitation of the three dearly words with which I had been baptized, JANET PAULINA MORRIS. though she nearly whispered, there was nothing serene or endearing in her tone of voice when scolding me. It didnt matter what she said . . . I love you very much could be thrown from her mouth like a dagger when she used that tone of voice. There is a point in communication where words are of no consequence in bring crossways a particular message. Sometimes, what is said is irrelevant, and how it is said singularly brings across this message. It all depends on diction. Aristotle was the first to coin the term diction in his analysis of the making of art and other things in Poetics. Diction, Aristotle claimed (only I imply he made this claim in Greek), clarifies language and alludes to a rootage of interest in a speakers tone of voice. My mothers source of interest was, um, considerably . . . me. She wanted to make sure that I knew on the nose where she was coming from and exactly what I was supposed to do about it.