THE ROLE OF DIALECT IN AMERICAN SOUTHERN LITERATURE
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Key words: dialect, culture, history, social, characters, authenticity, literary tool, race, social identity, region##article.abstract##
This article investigates the significance of dialect in American Southern literature, particularly regarding its impact on character development, cultural authenticity, and the representation of social dynamics within the South. By analyzing the writings of key Southern authors such as Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston, and Harper Lee, it illustrates how dialect operates as a literary tool that goes beyond simple linguistic depiction. The article looks at how dialects in these texts illustrate societal hierarchies, clarify the intricacies of racial dynamics, and shed light on the region's cultural and historical backdrop. Through this exploration, the article posits that dialect is an indispensable component of Southern literature, offering readers a richer comprehension of the social, cultural, and historical forces that have influenced the American South.
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1. Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1990.
2. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.
3. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: HarperCollins, 1960.
4. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.
5. Jones, Gavin. “Dialect and the Politics of Southern Literary Culture.” American Literary History, vol. 11, no. 4, 1999, pp. 691-716.
6. Boehm, Beth A. “Dialect and Narrative Voice in African American Literature.” African American Review, vol. 28, no. 2, 1994, pp. 169-180.
7. Sullivan, Nell. "Southern Dialects in Literature: Voice and the Vernacular." The Southern Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 3, 2004, pp. 39-52.
