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Allusions
Scene One
Explanation and Analysis—Working Class Markers:
Throughout the text, many of the unnamed workers (i.e. the "voices" at the beginning of the play) speak using slang and idiomatic language that marks their socioeconomic class. As lower-class working men, they frequently use English that would be considered grammatically improper or "coarse." Several instances of this "coarser" dialect being used occur at the beginning of Scene 1, when the workers yell out to one another:
Drunk as a lord, God stiffen you!
Ho, Froggy! Where the devil have you been?
Note the following excerpt, in which Yank both speaks in dialect and uses idiom ("yellow," as a way to call someone cowardly or timid):
YANK: Yuh ain’t no good for no one. Yuh’re de bunk. Yuh ain’t got no noive, get me? Yuh’re yellow, dat’s what.
Compare the above passage to the following, in which Mildred speaks:
MILDRED: [Again affected and bored] Yes, I suppose I do. Pardon me for my outburst. When a leopard complains of its spots, it must sound rather grotesque.
Yank, as a member of this group of men, also uses dialect and idiomatic language frequently, distinguishing his speech from that of Mildred or her aunt. Both women speak formal English, which aligns with their education and social rank as wealthy, white members of the upper class. Still, Mildred herself uses an idiom when she talks about "a leopard complain[ing] of its spots"—however, there is a difference between Mildred's and Yank's use of idiom, as Mildred's idiomatic approach is a bit more subtle, perhaps highlighting her mannered upbringing and juxtaposing it with Yank's more direct, combative use of language.
Related Themes:
Scene Two
Explanation and Analysis—Working Class Markers:
Throughout the text, many of the unnamed workers (i.e. the "voices" at the beginning of the play) speak using slang and idiomatic language that marks their socioeconomic class. As lower-class working men, they frequently use English that would be considered grammatically improper or "coarse." Several instances of this "coarser" dialect being used occur at the beginning of Scene 1, when the workers yell out to one another:
Drunk as a lord, God stiffen you!
Ho, Froggy! Where the devil have you been?
Note the following excerpt, in which Yank both speaks in dialect and uses idiom ("yellow," as a way to call someone cowardly or timid):
YANK: Yuh ain’t no good for no one. Yuh’re de bunk. Yuh ain’t got no noive, get me? Yuh’re yellow, dat’s what.
Compare the above passage to the following, in which Mildred speaks:
MILDRED: [Again affected and bored] Yes, I suppose I do. Pardon me for my outburst. When a leopard complains of its spots, it must sound rather grotesque.
Yank, as a member of this group of men, also uses dialect and idiomatic language frequently, distinguishing his speech from that of Mildred or her aunt. Both women speak formal English, which aligns with their education and social rank as wealthy, white members of the upper class. Still, Mildred herself uses an idiom when she talks about "a leopard complain[ing] of its spots"—however, there is a difference between Mildred's and Yank's use of idiom, as Mildred's idiomatic approach is a bit more subtle, perhaps highlighting her mannered upbringing and juxtaposing it with Yank's more direct, combative use of language.
Related Themes:
