The Impact of Word Choice and Genre on Reader’s Emotions

Paragraph 1: Chapter 1
➔ Raw nerve (link 1)
➔ Bench marking (link 1)
➔ Negative feedback loop (link 1)
Arsenic = R-Rich - Richard Snick (video link 2)

Paragraph 2: Chapter 6
❖ Thou shall not
➢ Good riddance Aunt Jemima
➢

Language features, word choice, structure, and concepts

The use of various language features to create a specific tone and mood
Words in quotations
Objectivity
Analysis of the news genre while being objective,
Negative Connotations and Tone and Mood

Paragraph 1: Chapter 1
❖ Primitive (Negative Emphasis)
➢ Words that Wound
❖ Touted (Mockery)
➢ Why a hipster, vegan, green tech economy
❖ Bite the dust (Personification)
➢ Good riddance Aunt Jemima

Hi Maheen,

Can you check this paragraph for me. It regards euphemism, but my instructor reviewed and
said BECAUSE I defined it as a NEGATIVE connotation. So it would rather be name-calling.
Hence, maybe I did the explanation wrong.
Lewis (2008) emphasized that euphemism is just the reverse of name-calling, giving a

pleasant, attractive name to something embarrassing, ugly, or disagreeable. Hill (2022) and

22 Minutes (2019) used euphemisms in different forms. Hill (2022) explained that using

“called terms such as Jemima, Ben, Sam, boy, and girl” to a person or people seems simple

and friendly names; however, each name implies a negative connotation to disrespect and

degrades black people’s status, “infantilized and demeaned them.” (Para. 9). Also, the “Aunt

Jemima” term – a household name that also inferred to the “Old Aunt Jemima” song that was

played in the minstrel show mocking the black for entertaining the white (Hill, 2022, para.

10). Behind personal names are derogatory and mockery. It transmitted discrimination,

injustice, and pain toward black people. Conversely, 22 Minutes (2019) utilized euphemisms

by switching from an unpleasant, disagreeable situation to something pleasant and more

acceptable. 22 Minutes renamed the baby food “R. Snick” to “Sy N. Ide” (054) to avoid

confusion with arsenic. The phonetic sound of R. Snick was quickly leading people to think

of arsenic, which is defined as a harmful chemical element to humans. Information from the

World Health Organization (2022) indicated that consuming a large amount of inorganic

arsenic and arsenic will increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, skin lesions, and

several types of cancer. Hence, the name R. Snick may lead people to misunderstand and

confuse it with arsenic as a harmful connotation that seriously affects its brand name. While

Sy N. Ide sounds more sociable and friendly, somebody may think of it as “Shy N Idle” says

in the innocent world where parents and caregivers are more tolerant.