Joy Harjo and Louise Erdrich are authors of Native American descent. Their poetry is full of unique and original metaphors that shape and add intrigue to their writing. Much of their writing also contains Indian dialect and cultural references.
Erdrich’s poem “Family Reunion” is an example of the Indian dialect I mentioned above. I think this poem shows the uniqueness to their way of speaking and introduces to the reader to the customs of the people in terms that are understandable and relate-able.
“Ah punka, you’s my Debby, come and ki me. / …Them’s Indian dogs, Ray says, lookit how they know me.”
I find it interesting that this is Erdrich’s example of dialect. It isn’t that much different from modern-day southern dialects. I hear people say “them’s” and “lookit” quite often. I think the main difference is the italicized words. The words “punka” and “ki” are quite different from modern-day vocabulary.
Both poets master metaphors. Many metaphors are tired and overused, but I found such originality in their metaphors and analogies.
Erdrich examples:
“Captivity” – “After that the birds mocked. / Shadows gaped and roared / and the trees flung down / their sharpened lashes.” Not only is this a beautiful image, but it continues the idea of the poem that the narrator could find no safety. Not even the wilderness warrented a safe return. Instead, it frightened her enough to prevent her from running. It continues that idea that there is no hope or chance of freedom. Nature is pushing closer to her enemy, her captor.
“Indian Boarding School: The Runaways” – “All runaways wear dresses, long green ones, / the color you would think shame was.” In her interviews, Erdrich mentions that Indian children were stripped from parents and forced into boarding schools. I am not surprised to find that many probably tried to run away, to find their homes, their parents. I think the mention of shame is a statement about how the sudden changes in their culture—the forced changes—made young children feel ashamed of their heritage. It made the think that being Indian was a bad thing, a shameful thing.
Harjo examples:
“A Map to the Next World” – The Map analogy continues throughout the entire poem and brings out the overall of theme of “finding” the light. The narrator in this poem is giving someone else instructions on finding the new world and rebuilding their world. The map is his key to completing this task, but it is more than that. It is a lesson in what NOT to do. It’s a key in what went wrong last time. It twists the idea of a map to find your way to the idea of a “treasure” map—the treasure being the new world, the rebuilding.
“Take note of the proliferation of supermarkets and malls, the / altars of money. They best describe the detour from grace.” This detail about the map sharpens the theme of the work. Their “city,” “heritage,” “language,” etc. has been forgotten and lost due to a fall from grace, due to sin. This quote shows the sinfulness of living materialistically and “in the world” which are the reasons behind the fall in the first place.
“Insomnia and the Seven Steps to Grace” – “though the season before dawn is always winter” This metaphor associates the moments before dawn, the moments before sunrise with the coldest time of the year. I think it correlates well with the theme of the poem. It fits the idea that “insomniacs” or third shifters have a much more difficult time seeing the beauty of the day because they are constantly surrounded by darkness. Coldness is often paired with darkness. The lack of light is the same as the lack of heat.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think that language (dialect, metaphor, analogy, etc.) has any effect on the success or failure of writing in general? How does your opinion relate to Erdrich’s and Harjo’s poems?
2. Many people see certain dialects as a lack of intelligence. Given the example of dialect in “Family Reunion,” do you think that there is a literacy issue in some parts of the country?
3. What other examples of language (dialect, metaphor, analogy, etc.) can you find that connects to the themes of these poems?
In response too question one...I think dialect has a significant effect on the failure of writing. I hate reading dialect. I really hate it. I have had to read the dialect of Jim the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jacob in Wuthering Heights, and the old man in Dracula. Each time I come across it I think that I’d rather not read the rest of the book than to try to decipher what this person is saying. However, I also think that a dialect can greatly enhance a work of literature. It brings a since of reality to the work and to characters that having them speak like everyone else would not be present. So although a dialect can greatly improve our idea of who a character is, it can also make us give up and not want to finish reading the book. Thankfully, many books which contain extremely difficult dialects know that we need translations and they give them to us. I like those publishers!!!!
ReplyDeleteResponse to Question Two:
ReplyDeleteI think there are far too many people that unfairly associate accents and dialects with a person's proficiency (or lack of) literacy-- and intelligence in general. I speak with a distinct Tennessee drawl, and have been known to use words such as "youins" and "yonder" in everyday speech. Clearly, this has no connection to the way I write or read, nor do I think the featured dialect example has any specific connection to the literacy issues in the speaker's region.
Instead, I think Erdrich uses the dialect to emphasize that "homey" and comfortable feeling we associate with being around relatives and people who accept us (or tolerate us in some families :), regardless of how you talk. I know when I visit my relatives in the Smokey Mountains that they won't bat an eye at my country slang, not only because it's home, but also because our dialect is just one more familiar family aspect that bonds us together.
Granted, "Family Reunion's" Ray doesn't seem to be one who would spend a lot of time reading the great literary classics, but I think Erdrich uses the specific examples of less than "perfect" English here to emphasize another point entirely.
-Jessica
Question 2 -
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately people tend to interpret some dialects as uneducated (mostly due to historic circumstances). It is generally a way to express dislike for a certain culture in its most well-known negative stereotype. The Southern dialect sounds uneducated. The northern is uppity and rude.
These are also the general negative stereo-types that the society faces. I think that certain societies are victims of negative stereotypes and the same stereotype is just carried over into the accent or dialect of the language that the target society speaks. Other than that, dialects don't illicit any type of response.
A good excercise is to listen to different accents in a forgein language or the way that accent carries over the the speaker when they speak english. Without stereotypes in your mind, I doubt you will view any particular accent in any particular way. One of my friends is from Ghana and when we were walking one day, someone else started talking to him. After we left the conversation, my friend remarked to me that the other gentleman was from Ghana and talked like a villager (as opposed to a city dweller). He definitely expressed that that was considered an uneducated accent and held a lower opinion of the person as a result. Later, when the gentleman said something, my friend turned to me with a wry smile and said "Whatever. I don't listen to him; he's a villager."
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- Japheth
Question 1 and Kelly's comment -
ReplyDeleteI also feel that written dialect can go both ways. Sometimes it can add to the character and sometimes it can add to the frustration of reading. My personal favorite is when an author just writes in that the character speaks in a certain way. When they do that, I can subvocalize the dialect in my mind. The only problem is if it is a rare dialect that I an unfamiliar with. Of course, if the dialog doesn't hold any meaning to me, then the specifics of reading it won't really affect me (So I might as well just read it in plain english).
Sometimes the dialect can cause a problem that is specific to a certain reader. I read 'Huck Finn' when I was in high school at the same time that I was learning the german language. That presented a specific problem that an earlier or later reading would not have done. I remember (because of how hard it was) that the character Jim always said 'sich' instead of 'such'. I know Twain wanted me to read it as (s - itch), but I was learning a german word 'sich' (pronounced z-ih). EVERYTIME I read sich, I read it in the german pronunciation and I had to stop and reread it. It reduced the joy of reading that book by a large amount. Though that was probably a one-in-a-million type incident.
- Japheth
I absolutely think that language affects the success of a piece immensely because it is the only medium that the writer, as an artist, has to work in. I think of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God. The characters in this piece speak in very strong African American dialect. Initially, it presents an additional challenge to read, but as you gain a comprehensive understanding of the way the words work it becomes a type of music that jumps out from the page. This work is so praised and I think her use of colloquialism further elevates its impact and draws the reader into the world. The example you give of Eldrich in Family Reunion sort of does the same thing- it gives the reader a music, an ear to hear the character/narrator with.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of literacy in America is an overwhelming one. . . I think it can be exemplified in dialect, but I think we have to be careful not to make assumptions based on a person's dialect. I have a wonderful friend who is from Georgia and does he ever have a drawl. But he also holds two PhD's and is one of the most engaging and brilliant men I have ever heard speak... even if it's hard to understand, at first. :) I think the literacy issue does affect our speech, but can't be determined solely from dialect.
I also found an interesting metaphor in "Indian Boarding School" of this particular type of oppression as a metaphor for adolescence. When we are young we are constantly fleeing any authority figures and always being punished for it. I believe that many times adolescents are punished unnecessarily for their creativity and their expression. As a society though we always automatically jump on the idea that because they are young they are wrong- as if to be young is to be wrong in all cases. Perhaps the idea of running away, escaping the societal norms, and receiving punitive measures that degrade you could be applied to the plight of young people.
So I keep up with the blog for work and for that reason blogger is saying that my organization is posting these comments but it's not. I'm probably legally required to say something to the effect of "WFC is in no way responsible for or related to the writings published in this comment section." :) But it's late and I couldn't figure out how to make it not say that in that last comment so this is not WFCampus for Developmental Disabilites but actually Lindsey Mattingly. :)
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ. I love to read books with dialogue reflecting a dialect. I'm excited about the upcoming Push. I read it when it first started to become popular and I loved it. I read it straight through without pausing to think about the language. I have no problem with Huckleberry Finn. I think this is a result of my own dialect. I can pretend that everyone else are the ones talking funny all I want, but in reality, I have a very strong southern accent. When I'm angry or excited it is really strong. The dialect of my region is unique. It is like my county was lost in time. The dear Ms. Elizabeth of this group, likes to kindheartedly tease me about some of the things I say. She can be laughing and I have no idea why. I agree with you that a dialect enhances a work of literature. I think the best way to immerse the reader in a time or place is to either write in a complete dialogue or give characters a dialogue. The authors for this week's readings do a variety of both. It definitely adds a uniqueness to their work. I am not sure how they could have written without it; in any case, it would not have been nearly as effective.
Dialect is just like anything else that is unknown. We are often turned off by the unfamiliar due to our personal fears of otherness or because we are too lazy to put forth the effort to understand. The written word is always tricky because there is so much room for miscommunication (lack of inflection, body language, etc.). However, the word is also a way to communicate ideas clearly, regardless of dialect, speech impediment, etc. So I think it is always surprising to read a dialect because generally we're expecting a type of standard English (so to speak). That being said, I would agree with all of you who said that dialect can truly enhance literature with its ability to characterize and personalize people and to create authentic, lively settings.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteWhenever you get a chance, look up Hubert Selby Jr's "Requiem for a Dream;" you'd have a field day with how he writes. He makes Mark Twain's dialect seem as hard to decipher as Wayne Brady's ebonics (Chappelle reference anyone?). I have to agree with Amanda, I don't think the use of "good" dialect can ever degrade a piece of writing. It may make it harder to understand for those who aren't familiar with that particular style of speaking (I, for the life of me, could never figure out what the hell "yes'm" meant or how it was pronounced for the longest time; I was also 18 before I first experienced the pure, god-given ecstasy that is White Gravy). I can't understand old English texts that are written in my native language; that doesn't degrade its place among our literary canon. Yes, it does take some getting used to, but in the end, well-written dialect can make a Clemens' Jim into an American icon.
-Will
Poetry is so much inference than a clear cut understanding. I like that you focused so much on language and literary tools as you led readers to decipher the wording as they gained their own understanding.
ReplyDelete