Read the excerpt from "Madam and the Rent Man" by
Langston Hughes.
How does word choice shape the tone of this excerpt?
The rent man knocked.
He said, Howdy-do?
I said, What
Can I do for you?
He said, You know
Your rent is due.
The emotional words immediately instill tension.
The neutral words create a matter-of-fact attitude.
The angry, hostile words reflect the frustration of the
speaker.
The threatening words paint the rent man as an evil
figure.
PLEASE HURRY