Terror in \"The Tell-Tale Heart\"

Terror in "The Tell-Tale Heart"

William Strunk's book, The Elements of Style is a book that every author and writer should read and follow because it offers solid advice for not only good writing but also good reading E.B. White upholds many of the principles put forth in Strunk's style for writing and in doing so, demonstrates the importance of these principles. However, it is also worth noting that White does not follow all of the guidelines in the Elements of Style. This illustrates how writers can be successful if they follow the most important principles, which allow for ease of reading and comprehension as well as keeping reader interest E.B. White demonstrates how many elements of writing are mandatory but some are not.

One element of style that White follows is placing himself in the background. By using third person, White has removed himself from the story completely. This allows readers to become engaged with the story without worrying about and information about the narrator. He is writing "in a way that draws the reader's attention to the sense and substance of the writing" (Strunk 70). Strunk also advises against injecting opinion, noting that opinions "leave the mark of egotism on a work" (80). The only opinions readers find in Charlotte's Web are those of the characters. For example, when Fern's parents are discussing her conversations with the animals in the barns, they have two distinct opinions. Mrs. Arable states that she does not think it is "normal" (White 54), while Mr. Arable mentions that maybe their ears are not as "sharp" (54) as Ferns. Here, we see how White has interjected the opinions of each parent without telling the readers what he thinks or without telling the reader what to think.

Another one of Strunk's pieces of advice that White follows is writing with nouns and verbs. White uses simple but engaging nouns and verbs in Charlotte's Web. This can be seen from the opening pages when Fern asks, "Where's Papa going with that ax? (White 1)" Immediately, the audience is curious and wants to continue reading. In addition, readers discover that "one of the pigs is a runt" (1) and Papa has "decided to do away with it" (1). Later in the novel, we read, "Below the apple orchard, at the end of the path, was the dump where Mr. Zuckerman threw all sorts of trash" (White 97). White captures the reader's attention with using nouns and verbs as opposed to adverbs. Strunk writes that while some descriptive words are necessary, "it is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, the give to good writing its toughness and color" (Strunk 72). Strunk also advises against constructing "awkward adverbs" (75) and fancy words. White remains true to these guidelines by keeping her novel simple enough to entertain children. While it may seem easy to write for children, it is actually difficult because the writer must be familiar enough with his or her audience to write with confidence. White accomplished this by keeping things simple. In doing so, Charlotte's Web not only appeals to children but adults as well.

White also sticks to the principles of composition as well. He follows the principle of using one tense throughout the story and choosing a suitable design and sticking with it. The design in Charlotte's Web is the structure of a children's story and it is crucial that White remains true to this design. Strunk writes, "in most cases planning must be a deliberate prelude to writing" (Strunk 15). Readers can know that White saw down beforehand and decided that he was to write a children's book and followed through on it. In addition, White also employs the principle of using "definite, specific, and concrete language" (Strunk 21). This principle is also significant for White's audience. The language is so specific that readers can almost see the farm animals as well as the setting in the novel. These principles make the story come alive for the readers and encourage them to continue reading.