“Voice” in Huck Finn

1. “Voice” in Huck Finn Dialect: A provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, esp. pertaining to specific groups or regions. Slang: Slang- language considered below standard English, or the language of a particular class.

2. Slang Example: Huck is young, uneducated, and Southern. He uses slang for regular words. “sivilize” instead of “civilize” and “victuals” for “food.”

3. Dialect Example: Jim speaks in a distinct slave dialect. “What’s de use er makin’ up de camp-fire to cook strawbries en sich truck? But you got a gun, haint you? Den we kin git sumfn better den strawbries.”

4. Assignment: Pick at least two sentences of Huck’s slang, and two sentences of Jim’s dialect to translate into modern English. Then, pick a paragraph from a different article or book, and translate it into Huck’s slang and dialect. Include the original paragraph with your translation.

5. Example: Original: “What’s de use er makin’ up de camp-fire to cook strawbries en sich truck? But you got a gun, haint you? Den we kin git sumfn better den strawbries.” Translation: “What’s the use in making up a camp-fire to cook strawberries and such food? You have a gun, don’t you? Then we can get something better than strawberries.”