Diction

• Mashed
• Stamping
• Pounded
• Ragged
• Sagging
• Splintered
• Beaten
• Crumbled
• Crushed
• Wrenched

All of this verb based diction makes the reader feel like he/she is having these things done to him/her. This diction creates a very hurt and suppressed tone with words like “pounded”, “beaten”, and “crushed”. Diction like “wrenched” and “crumbled” creates a tone that the migrant farmers were unfairly stolen of their life and belongings and now their way of life is destroyed. The whole book is about how people take advantage of other people and the diction creates a feeling of some people inflicting hurt and distress onto other people who really need help in the tough times of the Great Depression.