Independant Reading Blog#2: 'Tis - Diction

McCourt's diction in his memoir 'Tis is similar to his style in many respects. His choice of words is fairly simple, almost layman like, and yet he succeeds in describing with colour the events occurring in his book. There are no, or very few, "big words" in 'Tis. In the book, McCourt talks about having to look up "big words" like existenialism and bubkes. Again, this is probably intentional, and meant to reflect McCourt's simple upbringing and minimal education before attending NYU.
McCourt does, however, exhibit a knowledge of many types of slang, ranging from Irish cussing to Italian sayings. The different styles of slang, or use of specific words by certain characters, often associates them with one of the various groups McCourt comes across in his life. The Irish-American dock workers speak one way, while the NYU students speak another, and the men in the American Army speak yet another. This helps add to the feel of the novel, giving each character a twist of their own, adding to their identity.