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Plum Plum Pickers Analysis

The document analyzes Raymond Barrio's excerpt from "The Plum Plum Pickers" about the life of a migrant worker. Barrio uses vivid imagery and descriptions to depict the harsh working conditions and trapped feelings of the laborers. His use of truncated syntax emphasizes key details and creates a sense of urgency. The overall grave and bold tone reflects the exhaustion and helplessness of the workers. The analysis concludes that Barrio's use of colloquial diction, imagery, syntax and tone effectively capture the audience's attention and leave a lasting impression of the worker's moment of realization about their lives.

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208 views3 pages

Plum Plum Pickers Analysis

The document analyzes Raymond Barrio's excerpt from "The Plum Plum Pickers" about the life of a migrant worker. Barrio uses vivid imagery and descriptions to depict the harsh working conditions and trapped feelings of the laborers. His use of truncated syntax emphasizes key details and creates a sense of urgency. The overall grave and bold tone reflects the exhaustion and helplessness of the workers. The analysis concludes that Barrio's use of colloquial diction, imagery, syntax and tone effectively capture the audience's attention and leave a lasting impression of the worker's moment of realization about their lives.

Uploaded by

api-358671102
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Macandog, Lovely

Ms. Wing
Pre AP English 10 H
5 October 2017
Plum Plum Pickers Analysis

Raymond Barrio’s excerpt from The Plum Plum Pickers depicts the life of a migrant

worker struggling to maintain his humanity. Barrio’s use of colloquial diction and imagery,

truncated syntax, and grave, bold tone, create a moment of epiphany in one man’s life.

Throughout the passage, Barrio’s intense descriptions, diction, and imagery allures the

audience, “...endless maze of apricot trees, as though forever, neat rows of them, neatly planted,

row after row, just like the blackest bars on the jails of hell,” (Barrio 1). Using adjectives like

“endless” and “blackest bars on the jails of hell,” paints vivid pictures in the audience’s mind

that creates a trapped, prison-like mood. When Barrio expresses the thoughts going through

Manuel’s head, “Locked... Animal... Beast…Savage,” (Barrio 1), it helps the audience in feeling

and understanding what it is like to be in his place. The passionate and concentrated

visualizations used to describe the setting and atmosphere of the workplace of these hardworking

men presents the harsh conditions and resembles how they feel; trapped, as if they were

suffocating in a jail of hell with no escape. Additionally, Barrio portrayed Manuel’s “get away”

place and distant thoughts with “…the summer’s fierce zenith... sandy dreams, cool nights, cold

drinks. Soft guitar music with Lupe sitting beside him,” (Barrio 1). It is a memory that most

likely keeps him driven during despairing, hopeless times, despite his exhaustion and low

income. Constructing this reminiscent moment makes the audience truly connect on a personal

level with Manuel’s desire and recollection of a significantly enjoyable time in his life.
In addition, the syntax used throughout the passage strongly impacts how the overall

excerpt is conveyed. The truncated syntax creates tension, hastiness, and urgency, “Sandy

dreams. Cool nights. Cold drinks,” (Barrio 1). The abruptness of the sentences emphasize on

Barrio getting his points across and leaving a lasting impression on the audience. The sudden

pauses following each brief description makes them bolder rather than momentarily skimming

over detail. These descriptions make the audience stop, process, and take note, “Locked. Brute.

He felt alone. Beast. Savage. Predator. Lunch. An Automator,” (Barrio 1). Much like the

previously mentioned analysis, the syntax adds importance to the elements and words Barrio

stresses and wants the audience to be left with the imprint of.

The tone accentuated throughout this excerpt gives the overall story a grave, bold tone,

“The tired, exhausted pickers gasped as one… freezing in place… ‘You promised to take

nothing! You promised!” (Barrio 2). Enclosing desperate quotes such as this, portrays the

exhaustion and helplessness of the men in the story. By recounting the events taking place, using

terms such as “exhausted,” “gasped,” and “freezing in place,” with exclamation marks, it forms a

distressed interpretation. These elements provide a serious and crucial tone that reflects to the

audience and appeals to their emotional and personal feelings. Finally, Barrio ends the passage

boldly with “For men, Manuel dimly suspected, are built for something more important and less

trifling than the mere gathering of prunes and apricots hour upon hour, decade, insensibly,

mechanically, ant like. Men are built to experience a sense of honor and pride. Or else they are

dead before they die,” (Barrio 2). Being sure to leave an enduring impression on the audience,

Barrio deepens his depictions and delivers one last concluding, but final key point, continuing his

use of a firm, serious, and passionate tone.


Overall, with the appropriate usage of diction, imagery, syntax, and tone, Barrio was able

to capture the audience's attention and created a moment of epiphany that left a lasting

impression. The colloquial, familiar diction of the passage made the audience feel like they could

relate to the characters and were able to understand the informality of it. The truncated syntax

reinforces the significant descriptions and makes impactful prints in the overall deliverance of

the story. The grave tone Barrio creates, appeals to the audiences emotions and gives off a

serious mood. Conclusively, each individual element and use of diction, imagery, syntax, and

tone, played a crucial role in Barrio’s bold creation of a moment of epiphany in one man’s life.

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