In many of the books y'all will be reading this summer, a southern voice cry's out. Will you be able to discern it?
Kevin of Encyclopedia Kevinannica is the first in with notes on Zora Neale Hurston's rich 30's/40's black voice! Hurston was criticized for her black, southern voice. Readers of both races felt it contrived, but I believe she was true. One reason, she spent weeks living in turpentine camps. These camps were known for being seedy and lawless such as the wild west.
This is the quoted passage (thanks to Kevin) from her work, Their Eyes Were Watching God:
"You know if you pass some people and don't speak tuh suit 'em dey got tuh go way back in yo' life and see whut you ever done. They know mo' 'bout yuh than you do yo' self. An envious heart makes a treacherous ear. They done 'heard' 'bout you just what they hope done happened."
"If God don't think no mo' 'bout 'em then Ah do, they's a lost ball in de high grass."
"Ah hears what they say 'cause they just will collect round mah porch 'cause it's on the big road. Mah husband git so sick of 'em sometime he makes 'em all git for home."
"Sam is right too. They just wearin' out yo' sittin' chairs.""Yeah, Sam say most of 'em goes to church so they'll be sure to rise in Judgment. Dat's de day dat every secret is s'posed to be made known. They wants to be there and hear it all."
"Sam is too crazy! You can't stop laughin' when youse around him."
"Uuh hunh. He says he aims to be there hisself so he can find out who stole his corn-cob pipe."
2 comments:
This is one of the reasons I never managed to finish Their Eyes as I had such a hard time with the dialogue. I understand its critical to the book and true to the author but it was quite hard to get through.
Great for Kevin for being #1.
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