Observation Guide: Diction

     In Nicholson Baker's Mezzanine, his breezy harmonious depictions of sun light glaring down on an escalator demonstrate his connotative and physical uses of language.  His words are pleasant as they describe the sun "adding long glossy highlights to each of the black rubber handrails which wavered slightly as the handrails slid on their tracks." By describing the signs he passes on the escalators as "swooping upward between the two floors," Baker emits a sense of laziness and vacancy.As the sun glares down on both him and the escalator, Baker describes it as a "needly area of shine." With the use of his stylish direct voice, Baker is able to create a concrete image and dramatic flow in his writing.