Death is usually a subject that captivates attention and commands respect. However, death can also be an impersonal occurrence depending on situations. In the short story “Geraldo No Last Name” by Sandra Cisneros, the author uses a unique diction of rhyming words, short and fragmented sentences, and slang in order to create a tone that is wholly indifferent to the death of a young man in the beginning of the story then uses a lack of those techniques in order to show the tone shifting from uncaring to sympathetic.
Cisneros’ use of rhyming words gives a flow to the short story like that of a poem. Phrases such as, “Somebody she met that night. That’s right.” makes the beginning of the story smooth and uninterrupted by awkward phrasing. The smoothness itself transforms the tone into that of an unaffected person. When a person who has lost someone they care about tells a story about that person, he or she will stutter, pause, and stumble in the telling because he or she feels the effects of great emotion. When a person can tell such a somber story with no such problems, it is obvious they feel nothing towards the subject. Cisneros’ use of the word “ashamed” and then three sentences later the word “explain” once again gives most of the story a slickness that is completely detached from the story that she is telling. Then in the end paragraphs, Cisneros’ suddenly does not use such rhyming words and the flow becomes interrupted. By that time in the telling, the speaker has gained some recognition of the importance and waste of death, and the tone changes to become more serious and affected.
Short, abrupt sentences makes the words the speaker is saying seemingly offhand and unimportant. They send across a meaning that says the words do not matter because the person they are describing does not matter. The tone becomes irreverent in reflection of sentences like, “An accident, don’t you know.” and “And he was just somebody she danced with.” The sentence structure makes it so the speaker seems to be just throwing the words out there with no regards to whether or not they are important. Fragmented sentences such as, “No address. No name.” are so short and abrupt the tone gets a slightly impatient edge that further emphasizes the indifference that already makes up the author’s attitude. A shift occurs in the last two paragraphs because then the author suddenly uses less amounts of sentence fragments which makes the words become more thought out. This then conveys the author is becoming more thoughtful towards her subject and less indifferent, a contrast to the beginning of the story.
Cisneros’ use of slang implies a disrespect that reflects the diffident tone of most of the story. If one is speaking of someone that one cares about, one will use respectful words, not words such as “brazer” or “wetback”, slang that is not only disrespectful but also very offensive. The impertinence of slang is important for the tone because it says that the speaker is not only indifferent to the death, but also slightly scornful of the one who dies. When Cisneros writes, “Ain‘t it a shame”, the word “ain‘t” is not even real. The tone of the short story does not even allow the young man the respect of a real word. Cisneros’ achieves an apathetic tone during most of the story because she deliberately uses disrespectful words that deftly conveys her point. When she does not use slang at the very end of the story, her disrespectful tone becomes more respecting towards the subject’s death. She instead uses very correct English such as “currency exchange” in order for her to appear more polite and respectful of that which she is speaking of.
Death, usually such a serious subject, is mostly treated with a lack of sympathy in Cisneros’ short story “Geraldo No Last Name”. That is done by the tone Cisneros establishes with the reader by her inimitable diction. Her shift in tone is achieved by her distinct lack of use of her established techniques, turning the tone from uncaring to respectful. The recognition of the importance of death plays a large part in determining which tone will be heard form Cisneros in her touching short story whether it be lighthearted and disrespectful or somber and deeply emotional.
