Joan Didion's diction and imagery throughout the story creates danger, tension and mysteriousness. In the first paragraph, she describes the wind as "uneasy" and "tense". She states that the wind "whines" through the canyons and "dries the nerves to a flash point". She describes sires blaring, babies crying, arguments and sulking. She also talks about Indians jumping into the sea and bar fights. Overall, through diction and imagery, Didion creates a tense mood.
Alongside Didion's diction and imagery, she uses syntax and detail to create the atmosphere. her sentences show her personal feelings and her anticipatory syntax creates a tense mood. She focuses on the affects of the Santa Ana winds descrbing the "nnervousness", "depression", "nausea" and "allergies". She also mentions the rise in suicide rate and crime caused by the wind. The detailing in this part of the passage makes the mood tense as well.
Although Didion has a destructive view about th accee winds, she sees them as being a part of nature. In the third paragraph she begins to move towards the scientific reasons for the Santa Ana einds. Her tone also changes as it becomes more accepting in the third paragraph by saying that even though the Santa Ana winds are destructive, they are a part of Los Angeles that couldn't be escaped from. Joan Didion doesnt hate the wonds, she simply accepts them.
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