It's All About the Accent
January 22, 2010
One of the most distinguishing features about a man or woman is their accent. You can change your clothing fashions, habits, and other similar features which characterize your region of habitation, but it is extremely hard to change your accent once fully acquired. In all books, but particularly in novels, capturing a character's accent in the dialogue can be used with great effect, but it is also very easy to lose the tremendous potential.
In order to emphasize an accent, a careful use of the vernacular is desirable. This simply means incorporating slang into the dialogue, where appropriate. Combined, you get a full sense of the speaker's background, habits, and personality.
Say, for example, that you write a novel set in Victorian England. Your main character is a London coachman, carrying on a conversation with a friend. He inquires into the state of the weather in the following manner:
"Hello, Richard, how are you? What do you think of the weather today?"
That's the way to ask the question, certainly. However, consider the greater effectiveness of this next example:
" 'Ey, Dick, 'ow are ye? Whady'ee think o' the wither today?"
Which do you think gives a better feel for a London coachman? The one which uses good King's English, fit for a law school graduate, or the highly accented, man-on-the-street dialect used by the second example?
In my opinion, it is the "power of the apostrophe" which makes the difference. London coachmen had little respect for the "h" sound, omitting it where it was needed and including it where it was not. Erase the "h," include the apostrophe to show that we do know how to spell, and there you have it! Of course other sounds, not just the "h," must also be transfigured and manipulated to achieve the desired effect. However, this is a splendid writing tool if used wisely.
Using this tool of writing you can easily differentiate between a Irish soldier, a Southern plantation owner, and an Australian banker, giving your reader a colorful glimpse into the education and culture of your character. If you do use this tool, be very careful not to accent words so that they appear to be other words. This creates great confusion and can harm more than it can help. Both Henty and Ballantyne use dialogical accents very effectively, creating a feel of authenticity for their audience and making the reading experience much more enjoyable.
An' soo, oi gives 'e a gud day, an' 'opes to see 'e agin!
Tutela ex Vulnero,
John
Commodore Edward Preble
USS Enterprise defeats the pirate ship Tripoli