Dialects in American Literature Essay -- essays research papers

Dialects in American Literature In the late 19th and early 20th centuries dialect was not common in American Literature. Writers who attempted to accurately capture American dialect and slang often failed to make it believable. In my essay, â€Å"Dialects in American Literature,† I will compare and contrast three writers who used dialect in their writings and explain the difference between effective and ineffective use of dialect. The writers I will be discussing are Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and William Dean Howells. The use of dialect in American literature comes from using a combination of realism and regionalism. According to dictionary.com â€Å"realism is an inclination toward literal truth and pragmatism and regionalism is the use of regional characteristics, as of locale, custom, or speech, in literature or art.† Regionalism includes local language, which is often expressed by using dialect. Three examples of accurately capturing regionalism are: Bret Harte’s â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† (1869), Mark Twain’s â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† (1884-1885), and William Dean Howells â€Å"A Hazard of New Fortunes† (1890). The Biography of Bret Harte states that he was born in Albany New York on August 25, 1839. In 1854, his mother, a widow, moved him to California. In California Harte worked as a miner, school teacher, express messenger, printer, and journalist. While Harte was in San Francisco writing for â€Å"The Californian† he worked with Mark Twain, Charles Warren Stoddard, Prentice Mulford and the editor, Henry Webb. He contributed many poems and prose pieces to the paper. Bret Harte was appointed Secretary of the United States Branch Mint at San Francisco in 1864. He held that office until 1870. Harte then became the first editor of the â€Å"Overland Monthly.† "The Luck of Roaring Camp" published in the â€Å"Overland Monthly† brought him instant and wide fame. He was thereafter requested to contribute poems and articles to a number of publications. His stories of the American West were much in demand in the eastern United States. In 1871 he moved to New Yo rk. He later moved to Boston. â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† was first published in an issue of the Overland Monthly magazine in January, 1869. Bret Harte was also the editor of Overland Monthly ... ... â€Å"Harte’s influence on the writings of Mark Twain,† Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism 25 (1964): 209. Harte Bret. â€Å"Outcasts of Poker flat.† Page by Page books 25 Nov 2004 Lewis Andrew G. â€Å"Biography of Samuel Clemens alias Mark Twain.† Biography of Mark Twain 22 Nov. 2004 McMurray William. A Hazard of New fortunes,† Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism 7 (1967): 390. McMichael George, Leonard James S, Lyne Bill, Mallon Anne-Marie, Mitchell Verner D. Anthology of American Literature. Volume II ed 8. New Jersey: Person Education, 2004 O’Brien Edward J. â€Å"The Advance of the American Short Story.† Short Story Criticism 8 (1923): 230-231. Reuben Paul P. "Biography of Francis Bret Harte.† The History of San Francisco. 24 Nov. 2004 Wall Rachel G. â€Å"Dialect and Subtle Characterization in William Dean Howells A Hazard of New Fortunes,† Issues in Languages and Linguistics 24 Nov. 2004 Dialects in American Literature Essay -- essays research papers Dialects in American Literature In the late 19th and early 20th centuries dialect was not common in American Literature. Writers who attempted to accurately capture American dialect and slang often failed to make it believable. In my essay, â€Å"Dialects in American Literature,† I will compare and contrast three writers who used dialect in their writings and explain the difference between effective and ineffective use of dialect. The writers I will be discussing are Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and William Dean Howells. The use of dialect in American literature comes from using a combination of realism and regionalism. According to dictionary.com â€Å"realism is an inclination toward literal truth and pragmatism and regionalism is the use of regional characteristics, as of locale, custom, or speech, in literature or art.† Regionalism includes local language, which is often expressed by using dialect. Three examples of accurately capturing regionalism are: Bret Harte’s â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† (1869), Mark Twain’s â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† (1884-1885), and William Dean Howells â€Å"A Hazard of New Fortunes† (1890). The Biography of Bret Harte states that he was born in Albany New York on August 25, 1839. In 1854, his mother, a widow, moved him to California. In California Harte worked as a miner, school teacher, express messenger, printer, and journalist. While Harte was in San Francisco writing for â€Å"The Californian† he worked with Mark Twain, Charles Warren Stoddard, Prentice Mulford and the editor, Henry Webb. He contributed many poems and prose pieces to the paper. Bret Harte was appointed Secretary of the United States Branch Mint at San Francisco in 1864. He held that office until 1870. Harte then became the first editor of the â€Å"Overland Monthly.† "The Luck of Roaring Camp" published in the â€Å"Overland Monthly† brought him instant and wide fame. He was thereafter requested to contribute poems and articles to a number of publications. His stories of the American West were much in demand in the eastern United States. In 1871 he moved to New Yo rk. He later moved to Boston. â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† was first published in an issue of the Overland Monthly magazine in January, 1869. Bret Harte was also the editor of Overland Monthly ... ... â€Å"Harte’s influence on the writings of Mark Twain,† Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism 25 (1964): 209. Harte Bret. â€Å"Outcasts of Poker flat.† Page by Page books 25 Nov 2004 Lewis Andrew G. â€Å"Biography of Samuel Clemens alias Mark Twain.† Biography of Mark Twain 22 Nov. 2004 McMurray William. A Hazard of New fortunes,† Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism 7 (1967): 390. McMichael George, Leonard James S, Lyne Bill, Mallon Anne-Marie, Mitchell Verner D. Anthology of American Literature. Volume II ed 8. New Jersey: Person Education, 2004 O’Brien Edward J. â€Å"The Advance of the American Short Story.† Short Story Criticism 8 (1923): 230-231. Reuben Paul P. "Biography of Francis Bret Harte.† The History of San Francisco. 24 Nov. 2004 Wall Rachel G. â€Å"Dialect and Subtle Characterization in William Dean Howells A Hazard of New Fortunes,† Issues in Languages and Linguistics 24 Nov. 2004