Huckleberry Finn's use of diction in the first 100 pages outlines the novel's setting, and his own childlike outlook on the world. Finn's naming of the "watermelon,...mushmelon, or a punkin" (74) he borrows in St. Louis is an example of the Pike County Dialect, placing the reader in the Western region of the United States in the mid-1800s. The Missouri Negro Dialect is also evident through Jim's speech, using words like "gwyne" and "chile" (56). Additionally, Finn's diction in describing the weather on the river as "sloppy" (73) and saying that Tom Sawyer wouldn't pass up their opportunity for "pie" (76) reminds the reader of Finn's young age and childlike personality. Twain's diction also adds suspense, as he describes boats as "hunt[ing]" the river as opposed to sailing it.
OOOO I love the quotes you used Ellie. Twains diction helped show the different dialects between the slaves, huck, and the Grangerfords. He used diverse dialects in order to show the educational class differences.Many slaves had zero education which caused their speech to be what they heard from others around them. For the modern reader this almost seems as a completely different language.
Julia Nail Pages 100-125 Diction During pages 100-125 of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s diction when he is around Jim is more depressing, whereas when Huck finds the Grangerford family after separating from Jim, the diction reflects a lighter and happier setting. Twain’s ominous foreshadowing, “the night got grey” (105), warned readers that a change was about to occur. During the time that Huck was with Jim, darker diction such as “fault”, and “bound to fetch more bad luck” (105) was a prominent part of the scene. Huck’s code switching in different situations shows that he is happier without Jim. When he meets the Grangerford family, Huck’s diction changes to “beautiful”, “mighty nice”, and “lovely” (112-113). The Grangerford’s acceptance of Huck and their kindness and hospitality towards him allows Huck to experience a typical, non-abusive family life, much unlike Pap’s behaviour towards Huck. When describing his ‘foster’ family, “gentleman...and so was his family” (117), Huck only had nice things to say about them.
(Caitlin Lee) Very interesting, Julia! Twain's use of diction allows the reader to realize Huck doesn't view all individuals as the same. When talking to Jim, it is clear that Huck looks down on him; that he believes he is better than Jim.
I realized the same thing, but Huck was suppose to be the good character of the novel. The nice one. The one that has the true morality and compassion. In the earlier of the novel, he was mean and almost cruel with his language. We could blame this on society but at that time, he wasn't educated or corrupted yet. Why was he still careless with his dialect if he wasn't influenced by the society?
Interesting point about Huck's diction. I thought, however, that Huck and Jim were friends, as seen in the quote, "Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had" (101).
Interesting point, Angela! Although Huck and Jim are friends, Huck’s internal reflections reveal he doesn’t think of Jim as an equal. When apologizing to Jim, Huck’s thoughts exhibit this, as he doesn’t want to “humble [himself] to a nigger” (97). Though Huck’s superiority complex is simply reflective of the culture of the antebellum south, this thinking shows clearly that Huck and Jim may be friends, but in Huck’s mind, they are not equals.
Angela and Caitlin, Huck and Jim were indeed friends, and Huck enjoyed Jim's companionship for the most part, but there was the scene on the river, where Huck was getting fed up with Jim after Jim kept asking him if they had passed the Cairo river, which leads to the Northern (free) states. Jim was thrilled because he was going to be a free man, but his enthusiasm was irritating Huck.
Caitlin Lee- Diction (200-235) “That old gentleman that had just come looked all puzzled to death. Pretty soon he begun to speak and I see, straight off, he pronounced like an Englishman.” (218)
British accents are, in my opinion, the single best cadence ever. They’re so posh and elegant; so divergent to the typical “surfer dude” and “valley girl” accents I hear daily. As soon as an individual utters a word, their tone, articulation, vocabulary, and accent (whether it be from England or the West Coast) combine to allow the listener to judge where the individual is from and what their level of education is. The diction throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn points towards how strongly linguistics reflects socioeconomic status. In the novel, the distinction between the diction of the slaves and of the free is quite clear, thus allowing the audience to see how society views those who are enslaved.
Awesome job Caitlin :) I think that the relationship between linguistics and socioeconomic is exceedingly present throughout the story. If you take the example of an the British Accent, it is true that we often associate it with eloquence and wealth, as opposed to Huck's accent which is definitely seen as a sign of lower class. In many cases our speech patterns do represent our level of education because of diction, syntax, and speech habits.
I remember vividly my trip to South Carolina during the summer before eighth grade. As soon as my family crossed the border it became evident that we drove right into the South. Strong accents, and the word “y’all” written on every sign were only part of the Southern experience, and little did I notice at the time how crucial these things were to the state identity. The southern accent is a very recognizable one that is important in Twain’s novel, and diction in these chapters strengthen the identity of the central characters and the fluid plot line. Vocabulary in the novel revolves around this idea of Southern language, and as soon as the reader begins to dive into the story it is evident that Huck, along with the duke and the dauphin must be Southerners with a lower level of education as they often use words such as “reckon” and speak in slang.
"Because Mary Jane 'll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put 'em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?"
I think that this quote effectively sums up the use of the characters’ language, as they often string words together or cut off word endings.
I liked how you tied the diction of the South to identity, as how a person talks really becomes part of them as a person, and a characteristic they take pride in. If you think about it, some cultures are very proud of their accent or dialect (in a good way I promise) because it sets them apart and makes them unique. Since so much of their history is tied into it, their language makes them themselves.
When the duke is speaking to Huck about finding Jim, he calls slaves “idiots” that don’t “require documents,” which clarifies the reason as to why he pretends to get along with Jim, but eventually sells him out. Not only does the duke’s statement reveal his own true character though; Twain’s use of diction with the words “idiot” and “require documents” expresses the entire southern society’s attitude towards African Americans. Twain utilizes such words to emphasize the cruelty of slavery in the South, where slaveowners, with no regard to blacks’ humanity, thought of them purely as ignoramuses and objects that could be bought and sold.
Blog Six Diction Ginny Li Page (300-325) “The first time I catched Tom private.” (323) The diction that Huck is the evidence of his lack of education but also his regional dialect. Just like in “Mother Tongue” where Amy Tan concludes her mother’s linguistics not as broken but as imagery and color. One’s language might be broken but his thoughts are surely not. Even though this shows Huck’s unawareness of his language, it also proves the author’s skills in manipulating the dialect. When they are speaking in dialect, they are actually speaking in “identity.”
Huckleberry Finn's use of diction in the first 100 pages outlines the novel's setting, and his own childlike outlook on the world. Finn's naming of the "watermelon,...mushmelon, or a punkin" (74) he borrows in St. Louis is an example of the Pike County Dialect, placing the reader in the Western region of the United States in the mid-1800s. The Missouri Negro Dialect is also evident through Jim's speech, using words like "gwyne" and "chile" (56). Additionally, Finn's diction in describing the weather on the river as "sloppy" (73) and saying that Tom Sawyer wouldn't pass up their opportunity for "pie" (76) reminds the reader of Finn's young age and childlike personality. Twain's diction also adds suspense, as he describes boats as "hunt[ing]" the river as opposed to sailing it.
ReplyDeleteOOOO I love the quotes you used Ellie. Twains diction helped show the different dialects between the slaves, huck, and the Grangerfords. He used diverse dialects in order to show the educational class differences.Many slaves had zero education which caused their speech to be what they heard from others around them. For the modern reader this almost seems as a completely different language.
DeleteJulia Nail
ReplyDeletePages 100-125
Diction
During pages 100-125 of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s diction when he is around Jim is more depressing, whereas when Huck finds the Grangerford family after separating from Jim, the diction reflects a lighter and happier setting. Twain’s ominous foreshadowing, “the night got grey” (105), warned readers that a change was about to occur. During the time that Huck was with Jim, darker diction such as “fault”, and “bound to fetch more bad luck” (105) was a prominent part of the scene. Huck’s code switching in different situations shows that he is happier without Jim. When he meets the Grangerford family, Huck’s diction changes to “beautiful”, “mighty nice”, and “lovely” (112-113). The Grangerford’s acceptance of Huck and their kindness and hospitality towards him allows Huck to experience a typical, non-abusive family life, much unlike Pap’s behaviour towards Huck. When describing his ‘foster’ family, “gentleman...and so was his family” (117), Huck only had nice things to say about them.
(Caitlin Lee) Very interesting, Julia! Twain's use of diction allows the reader to realize Huck doesn't view all individuals as the same. When talking to Jim, it is clear that Huck looks down on him; that he believes he is better than Jim.
ReplyDeleteI realized the same thing, but Huck was suppose to be the good character of the novel. The nice one. The one that has the true morality and compassion. In the earlier of the novel, he was mean and almost cruel with his language. We could blame this on society but at that time, he wasn't educated or corrupted yet. Why was he still careless with his dialect if he wasn't influenced by the society?
DeleteInteresting point about Huck's diction. I thought, however, that Huck and Jim were friends, as seen in the quote, "Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had" (101).
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, Angela! Although Huck and Jim are friends, Huck’s internal reflections reveal he doesn’t think of Jim as an equal. When apologizing to Jim, Huck’s thoughts exhibit this, as he doesn’t want to “humble [himself] to a nigger” (97). Though Huck’s superiority complex is simply reflective of the culture of the antebellum south, this thinking shows clearly that Huck and Jim may be friends, but in Huck’s mind, they are not equals.
DeleteAngela and Caitlin,
DeleteHuck and Jim were indeed friends, and Huck enjoyed Jim's companionship for the most part, but there was the scene on the river, where Huck was getting fed up with Jim after Jim kept asking him if they had passed the Cairo river, which leads to the Northern (free) states. Jim was thrilled because he was going to be a free man, but his enthusiasm was irritating Huck.
Caitlin Lee- Diction (200-235)
ReplyDelete“That old gentleman that had just come looked all puzzled to death. Pretty soon he begun to speak and I see, straight off, he pronounced like an Englishman.” (218)
British accents are, in my opinion, the single best cadence ever. They’re so posh and elegant; so divergent to the typical “surfer dude” and “valley girl” accents I hear daily. As soon as an individual utters a word, their tone, articulation, vocabulary, and accent (whether it be from England or the West Coast) combine to allow the listener to judge where the individual is from and what their level of education is. The diction throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn points towards how strongly linguistics reflects socioeconomic status. In the novel, the distinction between the diction of the slaves and of the free is quite clear, thus allowing the audience to see how society views those who are enslaved.
Awesome job Caitlin :) I think that the relationship between linguistics and socioeconomic is exceedingly present throughout the story. If you take the example of an the British Accent, it is true that we often associate it with eloquence and wealth, as opposed to Huck's accent which is definitely seen as a sign of lower class. In many cases our speech patterns do represent our level of education because of diction, syntax, and speech habits.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete125-300
ReplyDeleteI remember vividly my trip to South Carolina during the summer before eighth grade. As soon as my family crossed the border it became evident that we drove right into the South. Strong accents, and the word “y’all” written on every sign were only part of the Southern experience, and little did I notice at the time how crucial these things were to the state identity. The southern accent is a very recognizable one that is important in Twain’s novel, and diction in these chapters strengthen the identity of the central characters and the fluid plot line. Vocabulary in the novel revolves around this idea of Southern language, and as soon as the reader begins to dive into the story it is evident that Huck, along with the duke and the dauphin must be Southerners with a lower level of education as they often use words such as “reckon” and speak in slang.
"Because Mary Jane 'll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put 'em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?"
I think that this quote effectively sums up the use of the characters’ language, as they often string words together or cut off word endings.
I liked how you tied the diction of the South to identity, as how a person talks really becomes part of them as a person, and a characteristic they take pride in. If you think about it, some cultures are very proud of their accent or dialect (in a good way I promise) because it sets them apart and makes them unique. Since so much of their history is tied into it, their language makes them themselves.
DeletePages 235-300
ReplyDelete“Some idiots don’t require documents” (242).
When the duke is speaking to Huck about finding Jim, he calls slaves “idiots” that don’t “require documents,” which clarifies the reason as to why he pretends to get along with Jim, but eventually sells him out. Not only does the duke’s statement reveal his own true character though; Twain’s use of diction with the words “idiot” and “require documents” expresses the entire southern society’s attitude towards African Americans. Twain utilizes such words to emphasize the cruelty of slavery in the South, where slaveowners, with no regard to blacks’ humanity, thought of them purely as ignoramuses and objects that could be bought and sold.
Blog Six
ReplyDeleteDiction
Ginny Li Page (300-325)
“The first time I catched Tom private.” (323) The diction that Huck is the evidence of his lack of education but also his regional dialect. Just like in “Mother Tongue” where Amy Tan concludes her mother’s linguistics not as broken but as imagery and color. One’s language might be broken but his thoughts are surely not. Even though this shows Huck’s unawareness of his language, it also proves the author’s skills in manipulating the dialect. When they are speaking in dialect, they are actually speaking in “identity.”
But does that mean our identity changes with our dialect because one cause acquire a British accent or per say fake it, does that mean they are fake?
DeleteThis is a good point Isabella. Are you referring to when the duke and dauphin took up fake British accents?
Delete