Evaluate the following descriptive paragraph. How well does it appeal to the reader's senses? What is the overall
"About 15 miles below Monterey, on the wild coast, the Torres family had their farm, a few sloping acres above a cliff that dropped to the brown reefs and to the hissing white waters of the ocean. Behind the farm the stone mountains stood up against the sky. The farm buildings huddled like the clinging aphids on the mountain skirts, crouched low to the ground as though the wind might blow them into the sea. The little shack, the rattling, rotting barn were gray-bitten with sea salt, beaten by the damp wind until they had taken on the color of the granite hills. Two horses, a red cow and a red calf, half a dozen pigs and a flock of lean, multi-colored chickens stocked the place. A little corn was raised on the sterile slope, and it grew short and thick under the wind, and all the cobs formed on the landward sides of the stalks."
- John Steinbeck, "Flight"
This descriptive paragraph effectively appeals to the reader's senses by vividly depicting the landscape and atmosphere of the Torres family farm. The mention of the "wild coast" creates a sense of mystery and adventure. The description of the cliffs, brown reefs, and hissing white waters of the ocean evokes the sound and movement of the crashing waves. The mention of the stone mountains against the sky adds a sense of grandeur and majesty to the scene.
The imagery used to describe the farm buildings is vivid and impactful. The comparison of the buildings to "clinging aphids" conveys a sense of vulnerability and fragility. The use of color through the gray-bitten and sea salted appearance of the shack and barn further enhances the reader's visual experience.
The mention of the animals on the farm, such as the horses, red cow and calf, pigs, and multi-colored chickens, adds life and movement to the scene. The description of the corn growing on the "sterile slope" and how it grows short and thick under the wind creates a sense of resilience and adaptability.
Overall, this paragraph effectively appeals to the reader's senses by painting a vivid picture of the landscape, atmosphere, and life on the Torres family farm.