Victorian Language The fact of the matter: “Nobody speaks at all like the characters in any novel, play or film. Life would be intolerable if they did; and novels, plays or films would be intolerable if the characters spoke as people do in life” (Abercrombie 1965). So what was the real way of speech? Fiction was generally thought to be an accurate portrayal of reality; “true life” (Chapman 1). It was unfavorable if it stressed credulity too far. Therefore, fiction is our main source of information; it is our main source to the reality of speech for the Victorians. Greater mobility and expansion of communication of the Victorian era brought together regional groups, thus increasing the complexity of the variations in the English language. Consequently, pronunciation evolved as an indicator of social prestige (Chapman 6-8). Two categories of speech developed: Standard and Non-Standard speech. Formation of Standard Speech vs. Non-Standard Speech The Education Act of 1870 established the school as a ‘melting pot’ for upper and middle class children and the speech boundary had to be resolved. Thus a uniform accent (Standard speech) was created and pupils who refused to accept this new accent or who could not adapt to this new way of speech were severely punished. Peer pressure was also an issue because the new boy would have to adapt to the new form of speech in order for his peers to accept him or to merely avoid bullies (Chapman 12). Non-Standard Speech This type of speech was also synonymous with lower class slang, “cockney” or the way in which the ‘uneducated’ communicated, specific to the East End (Chapman 19). The infamous “cockney” was native to the East End, as remains today. Cockney dialect allowed spelling and ... ... middle of paper ... ... word ‘affidavit,’ yet Rogue Riderhood mispronounces it as an “Alfred David” (Dickens 12). Therefore, language in the Victorian era was important in ranking members of classes and occupations. Language had the potential to assess and reflect upon one’s regional, educational, occupational and family background. The distinctions in speech amongst three different social ranks are evident in the following excerpt from an adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. Episode 1, Clip 3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/northandsouth/episode1.shtml Works Cited Chapman, Raymond. Forms of Speech in Victorian Fiction. New York: Longman, 1994. Dickens, Charles. Our Mutual Friend. 1865. Introduction and notes Adrian Poole. New York: Penguin, 1997. Phillipps, K.C. Language and Class in Victorian England. Ed. David Crystal. New York: Basil Blackwell Inc, 1984.
person will sound” (66-67). In “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person”, Joseph
Dickens, Charles. "Letter to George Eliot on 10 July 1859," in Ed. David Carroll, The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, (1971).
In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary “Pike County” dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech. I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding. (Twain 2)
Gayl Jones suggests, “Not only does the dialect have more functions but it is used in a story of greater complexity of character, greater thematic range and literary sophistication. Though the people themselves are “simple” in the sense of being “ordinary folks,” their range is more than sentimental or comic emotion.” The dialogue in this story helps to move the narrative along and give it additional char...
The Victorian era was a period that sourly revolved around Queen Victoria and her reign at the time. There was an excessive amount of change that also occurred throughout the Victorian era, "from advances in medical programs, to technological and scientific knowledge to changes in population growth and location" (Goodlad). All this change was starting to affect the mood of the population, what was once a confident and optimistic time led to economic downfall growth and wealth which soon plummeted into doubt and disbelief. In the social class ranking there is the working class, middle class and upper class. The working class are men and women who perform physical labor and they get paid daily or weekly wages. The men and women of the middle class perform mental or "clean" work and are paid monthly or annually. The upper class, on the other hand, do not work, but their income in fact came from inherited land and investments.
Gross, John. "A Tale of Two Cities." Dickens and the Twentieth Century. Ed. John Gross and Gabriel Pearson. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1962. 187-97.
Wright, Katy M. “The Role of Dialect Representation in Speaking from the Margins: “The Lesson” of Toni Cade Bambara.” Style. 42.1 (2008): 73-87. Proquest. SEMO Kent Lib., Cape Girardeau, MO. 12 April 2009. .
Although printed American English is consistent throughout the nation, there are many distinguishable differences in the pronunciation of words in the spoken language, depending on the region of the country. Eastern New England has one of the most distinct American dialects. “The letter ‘R’ is often silent, and ‘A’ is normally pronounced ‘AH,’ so we get ‘Pahk the cah in Hahvuhd yahd’” (Delaney). Unlike Boston and additional urban pronunciations, New York City’s dialect doesn’t show much similarity to the other dialects of the area. New York City’s pronunciation is the most rejected and mocked of all the American dialects. “‘IR’ changes to ‘OI,’ but ‘OI’ becomes ‘IR,’ and ‘TH’ becomes ‘D’ as in ‘Dey sell tirlets on doity-doid street’(Dela...
Swisher, Clarice, Ed. “Charles Dickens: A Biography.” Readings on Charles Dickens. San Diego, Greenhaven Press, 1998. Print. 21 March 2014.
The focus of everyday life in the Victorian Age gives an idea of what the people, in that particular time, had to deal with. Men and women alike walked the streets of London to complete their daily tasks set before them, “Hundreds of thousands of men and women drawn from all classes and ranks of society pack the streets of London” (Engels 1591). This kind of picture of everyday life shows us a realistic picture of Victorian London; it was crowded with people from all social lives. Although the Victorian Age did mention social class, it did not focus on it like the Romantic Period did. The Romantic Period tended to focus on the struggles of the poor, how they interacted with the rich, and how love, imagination, or determination overcame social class, as in “The Mortal Immortal”. In the realistic view of the Victorian Age, the poor stayed poor most of the time and did not socialize with the rich outsid...
In many novels, the society created by the author is surrounded by wealth and corruption. Numerous amount of times these settings are produced based on the life in which the author lives. Charles Dickens is no different. In the midst of most of his novels, Dickens exposes the deception of Victorian England and the strict society that holds everything together. In Dickens' novel Our Mutual Friend, a satire is created where the basis of the novel is the mockery against money and morals. Throughout this novel, multiple symbols and depictions of the characters display the corruption of the mind that surrounds social classes in Victorian England.
Use of Language to Portray 19th Century London Society in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Victorian society could be quite pleasant, but only if one were fortunate enough to be born into the upper or at the very least the upper middle class. Members of the upper class lived in grand mansions on great estates; they kept busy with parties, dances, and keeping track of what other people in the same social class were doing. The only career for a woman in this society was marriage. Society wives were expected to represent their husbands with impeccable manners and grace and provide no hint of scandal. Etiquette was a full time occupation; what to wear, who to speak to, and when to curtsy, was of the highest importance. One of the biggest fears of the socially aware was ostracism. (Rose, 1999- 2012)
Telley, S.A. (2008) ‘Teenage dialect – Chapter one’, pp. 1-75. Available at: https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/handle/1805/1634 (Accessed 12 May, 2014).
Although the Romantic period was really focused on the nature and imagination the Victorian era was a different story. The Victorian Era was similar but no different to the Neoclassical period. The Victorian Era was strict and had a strict Monarchy government that had rule that were suppose to be followed at every minute of every day. Religion was also very strict the main religion was christianity. The rules were strict and harsh and had to be followed at precisely the rich minute or a person would get in trouble.