Vocabulary within Lock and Key

     In the book, Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen uses her large vocabulary to create amazing diction in the novel. Dessen uses a multitude of creative words to really show many characteristics of all of the characters. For example, a quote that clearly displays her vocabulary and way of making the characters really come to life is "Unlike Perkins Day, the elite private school known for its lacrosse team, stellar SAT scores, and the fact that the student parking lot featured more luxury automobiles than a European car dealershio. The only contact we ever had with Perkins Day kids was when they felt like slumming at parties." (Dessen 22)

 

     This quote that I had picked to show the vast vocabulary, shows how different the school that Ruby now attends is from her old school, Perkins Day. To describe how glamorous her new school is, Dessen used words like elite, private, stellar, featured, luxury, which all show how expensive the taste of many of the students at this new school is. However, when she compared it to Perkins Day, she used the word slumming. When you compare slumming to elite, you can see that the students that still go to Perkins Day are rather poor, and do more things that are not accostumed to at her new school, which is more expensive and fabulous.

Sarah Dessen

 

     Sarah Dessen, the author of my book, Lock and Key, is a New-York Times best selling author of many books that were meant for young adults. As I have learned from previous experiences, Sarah writes many love stories that will usually have a twist within them. Dessen was born June 6, 1970, in Evanston, Illinois. Her education included starting her years at college at Greensboro College, but later dropping out and finishing by taking some classes at the University of North Carolina. That Summer, Dessen's first book, was published in 1996. After this first major publication her writing career really kicked off and she wrote 11 other books that were published during the late ninety's, all the way up into 2013. Personally, I have really enjoyed reading her books. I love all of the suspenseful moments and plot twists within such an intriguing love story. One thing that I had found very interesting about Sarah Dessen, is that her books That Summer and Someone Like You were the basis to the 2003 Mandy Moore movie, How to Deal. Finally, I had found a video clip of Sarah Dessen herself talking about Lock and Key, which is the book I am currently reading, and how she came up with all of the ideas within the book.

     

Most Important Line in the beginning of Lock and Key

 

     I think that the most important line that contributes to the story within the first few chapters, is where Ruby described her mother waking up angry at her and her sister, and she describes how when her mother would do this, Cora would step in front of Ruby and protect her from the angry drunk lady that was supposed to be their mother. "As my mother approached, annoyed and usually spoiling for a fight, my sister would always step in front of me. ... Of course, I knew my mother was still coming toward me, but it was always Cora I kept my eyes on: her dark hair, the sharp angles of her shoulder blades, the way, when things were really bad, she'd reach her hand back to find mine, closing her fingers around it." (Dessen 57). I believe that this is the most important line in the story so far, because it shows how protective Cora was over Ruby, and it sort of makes you believe that now that they are older, it will still apply later in this story somehow. It also shows how strong the bond between the two sisters was and probably still will be after thay had spent a few days together.