Syntax

• You’re not clever. You don’t know what you want. You have no proper fierceness. You let other people walk all over you… Does that answer your question? I love you better. I always have”(27).
• “Well had anything or anybody really touched Kate- really got through and soiled her? Certainly not... Inside she was intact-as clean and bright as the boy Alec”(509).
• “Pure!... Just absolutely pure-never a bad thing. I’m not like that”(493).
     Steinbeck frequently employs succinct syntax alongside loose and periodic sentences to further establish his style and tone. The short, irregular syntax complements the somber tone. The sparse, almost austere diction can be attributed to the despondent state of the characters, who, numb from the misery they encounter in their daily lives, are unwilling to share more than they must. Due to the fact that the dialogue is concise, or dare I say terse, it enables the author to provide more clarity. When ideas and opinions are stated matter-of-factly, they often have more of an impact. Cyrus’ declaration of love for his son for example is stated somewhat brusquely, but is powerful nonetheless. The brevity of his monologue reveals that he is not a sentimental man, lending magnitude to an already profound remark.
     Abra’s disgust at being envisioned as a paradigm of virtue (as illustrated by the second example) is heightened by Steinbeck’s employment of repetition. The successive appearance of the word “pure” creates an emphasis that provides the reader with insight into the depth of her revulsion. Additionally, the inclusion of the periodic sentence with the ending clause “never a bad thing” serves in further exemplifying the effect of the rose-colored glasses through which Aron views her. The reader witnesses this emphasis yet again when Steinbeck uses a loose sentence, “Inside she was intact-as clean and bright as the boy Alec”(509). Kate constructs this last phrase of additional evidence during her inner monologue to reassure herself that she is indeed pure.