“The address that Patrolman Mancuso was looking for was the tiniest structure on the block, aside from the carports, a Lilliput of the eighties. A frozen banana tree, brown and stricken, languished against the front of the porch, the tree preparing to collapse as the iron fence had done long ago. Near the dead tree there was a slight mound of earth and a leaning Celtic cross cut from plywood. The 1946 Plymouth was parked in the frontyard, its bumper pressed against the porch, its taillights blocking the brick sidewalk. But, except for the banana tree, the tiny yard was completely bare. There were no shrubs. There was no grass. And no birds sang.
Patrolman Mancuso looked at the Plymouth and saw the deep crease in its roof and the fender, filled with concave circles, that was separated from the body by three of four inches of space. VAN CAMP’S PORK AND BEANS was printed on the piece of cardboard taped across the hole that had been the rear window. Stopping by the grave, he read REX in faded letters on the cross. Then he climbed the worn brick steps and heard through the closed shutters a booming chant.”Pg. 43
This passage, one of the few passages in the book without dialogue, perfectly exemplifies Toole’s style and use of rhetorical devices. The most noticeable characteristic about this passage is Toole’s attention to detail. Toole focuses on things, like the “piece of cardboard taped across the hole,” and describes them in great detail. This helps the reader get a perfect picture of the setting, but it also does not leave much room for imagination. I have to wonder if Toole did this to intentionally get the reader to see the scene exactly as he saw it, or if it was just a product of his attempt, which was successful, to make the book humorous. Every scene in the book is similar to this one, although there is usually dialogue dotted throughout each description.
The next thing I noticed was his diction. He uses simple diction for the most part, with the rare “big word” making an appearance. I think that this use of simple diction helps to create a feeling of being in an uneducated southern town in the 1950′s. This feeling immerses the reader in the setting, and in turn the story itself. This leads back to his attempts to create a picture in the reader’s mind that is exactly like that in his own mind. His word choice also effectively reveals the mood of the particular scene he is describing. For example, the adjectives “brown and stricken,” as well as “mummified,” create an almost sad mood, reminding the reader of the poor condition of the house and city in general at the time that the novel takes place.
Strangely, his syntax seems too complex for the diction he uses. Many of his sentences are long, with a variety of clauses. This is a direct contrast to his simple diction, but it reflects how Ignatius thinks and talks. The short sentences at the end of the first paragraph are uncommon in the book, but when they appear Toole uses them effectively to prove a point. Personally, I like the combination of simple diction and complex syntax because I don’t get confused with words I don’t know, but I still feel smart because I know I am not reading a children’s book. It’s a true win-win situation.
