Journal #1

"How does the narration differ from the dialect and what is the effect?"

The narration differs completely than the dialect. Whereas the narration is written in a highly educated, well written way, the dialect is written in what was the way African-American southern men and women spoke at that time. These men and women were uneducation, impoverished and labor workers, and spoke in the black slaves' version of english which had developed during the many years of slavery. The effect of this is to perhaps emphasize the southern dialect in contrast to the well-articulated narration, in a juxtaposition sort of way, to emphasize the narration as well through the contrast. Another reason could be that by using a well-articulated narration rather than a southern dialect, we are able to go more in depth with what Janie is truly thinking in a more structurally written way. The descriptions are easier to understand and visualize and we can better understand Janie.