Famous Last Words Week 7: A New Perspective

The last time I wrote a Famous Last Words entry, I found myself struggling to keep pace with a slew of applications and deadlines. Now, I can breathe a little easier. Even though I have two interviews this week, my schedule has opened up to allow for more spontaneity. I'm reading for pleasure again. I'm finding time to go play tennis during the rare occasions when Oklahoma presents a autumn day that is the perfect temperature without the persistent wind.

A newfound hobby is taking up my free time. Wikipedia Commons.

However, I do not regret the rush and stress from the past month. With those national scholarship applications, I was forced to stop and take stock of my life. Personal statements required that I put who I am into writing, and it is harder than it seems.

"Why?" That's the simple word that came up again and again during that process. Why do I, a person who loves teaching, want to become a doctor? Why do I see language as a lens through which I evaluate my skills as a tutor and future physician? Why did I make the decisions that led me to where I am now?

It is a shame that the question of "what" seems to take precedence in life, and it starts early on. What do you want to be when you grow up? What are your goals? What matters to you? These same questions hold merit, but I think they more readily come to mind.

I now find myself asking "why?" more often, and it keeps me grounded. I feel as if I have taken a one-hour course over myself for the past month, and I am glad I held my ground. The funny thing is that I never would have imagined that I would have gained this much just from the process of applying for such scholarships. I guess the best part of education is what you learn when you least expect it.

Essay Week 7: Dabbling in Dialect

As a language major, a question that tends to intrigue me is how the borders between languages are defined. Unfortunately, I am not trained as a philologist, so it's difficult for me to explore the matter precisely. I do, however, see dialects that emerge out of languages as the "margins of speech."

By "margins," I mean the forms of language that would not be considered standard form. Of course, defining what is standard within language becomes problematic, as well. If language is such a measure of human intellect, how could language be anything but standard?

The key factors that put dialects at the margins of speech seem to be both linguistic demography and literary presence. The former boils down to a game of numbers. If a majority of a population speak one form of a language, then that language will shift toward that form. An example of this is how the word "literally" has gained a new meaning of emphasis (which I despise). The frequent usage of "literally" as a way to express emphasis predicated its entrance into the dictionary.

Speaking of dialect, this map highlights areas of the country where a non-rhotic "r" is used. The non-rhotic makes words like "car" sound like "cah." This is typically of the Boston accent, for example. Wikipedia Commons.

If the demographic that speaks a form or dialect acts as the shifting wind that subtly change language, then literature anchors language in a way that impedes linguistic shifts. Works of literature that command respect are the works that are taught in the classroom, therefore echoes of language from decades and centuries ago can influence the way in which we learn to read, write and speak. Not to mention, the sole act of reading can be a window into a language's past. Part of this powerful influence comes from the fact that text on a page does not shift over time. The text may fade away, but the language within retains a strong sense of stability despite a world of changing linguistic influences.

Storytelling for Week 7: Lost in Translation

Made from the earth, I was. Plain and simple. Well, I wouldn't call it earth exactly, but tar is pretty much the same when it comes down to it. I smell of turpentine and don a dilapidated straw hat, so I'm not the best company to keep. The worst part of it is that Brer Fox went up and forgot to give me a mouth. To think of how simple it would have been for him! Just a poke under my nose would have sufficed perfectly! All I am able to do is sit here and ruminate while my molasses heap of a body melts and bubbles under the unforgiving, albeit cheerful, Southern sun.

Ah! Here comes someone now to break up my tedious monologue. Looks like it's a rabbit in overalls. If that's the case, I must be getting heatstroke. Here we go; he's walking straight towards me.

"Mawnin'! Nice wedder dis mawin'"

What in the world did he just say!? I cannot understand him to save my life. I'm struggling to form words, but I quickly remember my lack of a voice. My only response is the sound of the bubbling tar on my body.

"How you come on, den? Is you deaf? Kaze if you is, I kin holler louder."

I wish I could just tell him what the deal is. He seems to be a pretty gentle person.

"You er stuck up, dat's w'at you is, en I'm gwine ter kyore you, dat's w'at I'm a gwine ter do."

My encounter with Mr. Rabbit. Wikipedia Commons.

I've stopped listened to what he says, and can you blame me? I can barely distinguish his vowels from his consonants. I'll just wait here until he gets bored and leaves me alone.

SMACK!

Holy cow! He hit me! What in the world did I do to deserve this? To be honest, it was a really bad decision on his part. His fist sank deep into my molten jaw. Looks like we're hitched.

"Ef you don't lemme loose, I'll knock you again"

Listen man, if I could speak, I explain everything. But still, I can't just 'unmelt' myself.

WHAM!

Well, there go his feet. I can tell where this is heading. At least I'll have company from now on.

Author's Note: I decided to write from the Tar-Baby's perspective in one of the first stories in the Brer Rabbit I unit. Though this, I wanted to also make a satirical comment on how well the dialect is written in the original story.

Bibliography:
Joel Chandler Harris
Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings 
1881

Reading Diary Week 7: Brer Rabbit I

To be honest, I'm glad I stumbled upon a unit based in dialect. This week, I'm reading the Brer Rabbit I Unit.

Brer Rabbit and the Calamus Root: Wow, this is a greater challenge than I expected. The dialect is fantastic, and I'm already considering trying my hand at dialect with my Storytelling post this week. In any case, the narrator seems to delight in Brer Rabbit's cunning.

The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story: These stories seem to end very quickly, and I wonder if it reflects the storytelling culture back then in regard to narrative structure. Then again, maybe it reflects how the endings of some stories are forgotten.

How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox: I enjoy the back-and-forth between Mr. Fox and Mr. Rabbit when it comes to who possesses the upper hand. These stories seem to have a way to allow the characters to save face. For Brer Rabbit, he was able to avoid death through his cleverness even though he put himself in that situation to begin with.

Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure: I think that Brer Rabbit's strategy to fool Brer Fox has been to beguile him into believing a lie. With the Tar-Baby, the lie was that Brer Rabbit's worst nightmare was the brier-patch. With Brer Fox's feigned death, Brer Rabbit made him believe that his act needed some extra pizzaz.

The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf: This story is surprisingly morbid considering that Brer Rabbit kills Brer Wolf in front of his own children. Not to mention, death by scalding water doesn't seem to be a fun way to die. I must note, however, that Brer Rabbit's trickery comes in the form of lying once again in this story.

Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman: I'm starting to feel bad for Brer Fox. He didn't necessarily do anything to Brer Rabbit in this story, but he still pays the price in order for Brer Rabbit to get out of a sticky situation. I wonder if it's destiny that Brer Rabbit will always regain the upper hand.

Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match Again: The pattern here in the series of stories seems to be one in which Brer Rabbit becomes prideful in a way and then is humbled by his own fault. I also notice how the farm labor in the story reflects sharecropping of the time.

Mr. Terrapin Shows His Strength: I get the sense that this story was intended to show children that they should have respect for their elders. In any case, it's clearly a situation of brain winning over brawn. Still, I love the dialogue. My favorite excerpt is: "bless grashus!"

Plantation Proverbs: What a cool way to end a unit! I think some of my favorites are "Possum's tail good as a paw," "Don't fling away the empty wallet," and "De howlin' dog know w'at he sees."