Twain’s Seven Dialects
Twain’s Seven Dialects in the “Explanatory”
Twain's “Explanatory” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was crafted to elucidate the different dialects used throughout the novel. Ironically, his explanation has sparked confusion and debate among critics since its publication. The various dialects are often challenging to distinguish, and some inconsistencies are noticeable in the characters' speech patterns. It's understandable why critics might perceive the “Explanatory” as another one of Twain’s comedic touches, typical of his writing style. However, the consistency in the characters’ nonstandard speech patterns largely overshadows the inconsistencies, suggesting that Twain was earnest about the seven dialects featured in the novel.
David Carkeet, who has extensively researched Twain's use of literary dialects, asserts, “Clemens’s recall was imperfect; his attempt at consistency, at least in Huck’s dialect, falls short.” Carkeet attributes this “imperfect recollection” to the fact that Twain wrote three-fifths of the novel after a two-year hiatus. This break resulted in several changes in pronunciation, particularly in Huck's speech, in the latter parts of the novel.
Carkeet identifies the seven dialects as belonging to the following characters:
Missouri Negro: Jim (and four other minor characters)
Southwestern: Arkansas Gossips (Sister Hotchkiss et al.)
Ordinary “Pike County”: Huck, Tom, Aunt Polly, Ben Rogers, Pap, Judith Loftus
Modified “Pike County”: Thieves on the Sir Walter Scott
Modified “Pike County”: King
Modified “Pike County”: Bricksville Loafers
Modified “Pike County”: Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas Phelps
These examples represent the living speech of Twain’s era, highlighting the unique language found in regions along the Mississippi River.
Missouri Negro: Jim “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead-you ain’t drownded-you’s back ag’in? It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o’ you. No, you ain’ dead! you’s back ag’in, ‘live en soun’, jis de same ole Huck-de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!”
Extremist form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect: Arkansas Gossips (Sister Hotchkiss) “Look at that-air grindstone, s’I; want to tell me’t any cretur ‘t’s in his right mind’s a-goin’ to scrabble all them crazy things onto a grindstone? s’I.”
Ordinary “Pike County”: Huck “My folks was living in Pike County, in Missouri, where I was born, and they all died off but me and pa and my brother Ike.”
Modified “Pike County”: Thief on the Sir Walter Scott, Jake Packard “I’m unfavorable to killin’ a man as long as you can git aroun’ it, it ain’t good sense, it ain’t good morals. Ain’t I right?”
Modified “Pike County”: King: “Well, I’d been running a small temperance revival there for about a week... business was growing steadily when somehow a rumor started last night that I had a secret jug for my own use.”
Modified “Pike County”: Bricksville Loafers: “Gimme a chaw of tobacco, Hank.”
“Can’t; I’ve only got one chaw left. Ask Bill.”
Modified “Pike County”: Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas Phelps: “Goodness gracious!” she exclaimed, “what could have happened to him?”
“I have no idea,” the old gentleman replied, “and I must say it makes me very uneasy.”
“Uneasy!” she said, “I’m on the verge of going crazy! He must have come, and you missed him on the road. I’m sure of it—something tells me so... Why, Silas! Look up the road! Isn’t that someone coming?”
Twain wrote during the late nineteenth century when literary dialects were in vogue. While he was instrumental in developing the dialectal style in American literature, he also drew inspiration from his contemporaries who embraced the same tradition. It’s inconceivable to think of Huckleberry Finn written in standard English. Twain’s works weren’t crafted from the dead language of Europe's past but were filled with the vibrant colloquial speech of his time. This is what has made The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a quintessential American novel.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.