Note: Your teacher will grade your response to the question below to ensure that your receive proper credit for your answer.
Evaluate the following descriptive paragraph. How well does it appeal to the reader's senses? What is the overall effect?
"About 15 miles below Monterey, on the wild coast, the Torres family had their farm, a few sloping acres above a cliff that dropped to the brown reefs and to the hissing white waters of the ocean. Behind the farm the stone mountains stood up against the sky. The farm buildings huddled like the clinging aphids on the mountain skirts, crouched low to the ground as though the wind might blow them into the sea. The little shack, the rattling, rotting barn were gray-bitten with sea salt, beaten by the damp wind until they had taken on the color of the granite hills. Two horses, a red cow and a red calf, half a dozen pigs and a flock of lean, multi-colored chickens stocked the place. A little corn was raised on the sterile slope, and it grew short and thick under the wind, and all the cobs formed on the landward sides of the stalks."
— John Steinbeck, “Flight”
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(4 points)
This descriptive paragraph appeals well to the reader's senses. The author uses vivid and specific language to paint a picture of the setting, utilizing descriptive words such as "wild coast," "brown reefs," "hissing white waters," "stone mountains," "clinging aphids," "gray-bitten with sea salt," and "beaten by the damp wind." These details allow the reader to imagine the scenery and atmosphere of the farm.
The overall effect of the paragraph is to create a sense of ruggedness and isolation. The description of the farm as being located on a wild coast with cliffs and "hissing white waters" conveys an image of a remote and untamed environment. The mention of the stone mountains and the wind blowing against the farm buildings further enhances this sense of isolation and harshness. Additionally, the mention of the farm's livestock and the corn growing on the slope suggests a hardworking and self-sustaining lifestyle.