Black Vernacular as Cultural and Philosophical Expression in August Wilson's Fences
Overview
This essay analyzes August Wilson's use of Black vernacular in 'Fences' as a literary device that creates cultural imagery and connects with audiences. The paper argues that while the dialect authenticates the play's representation of Black community life and serves philosophical purposes in condemning racial discrimination, it also presents limitations in terms of grammatical standards and accessibility to broader audiences.
What this essay covers
- Introduction establishing Black vernacular's role in creating imagery and cultural setting
- Analysis of how slang and informal language enhance authenticity and audience connection
- Discussion of limitations including grammatical incorrectness, comprehension difficulties, and audience restriction
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Discussion
In the play “Fences” by August Wilson, Black vernacular has been used to create imagery. The language connects with the audiences and defines the cultural setting of the play. The language has also been used philosophically to condemn racial discrimination. In Tory’s narration, he questions Mr Rand; “Why you got the white mens driving and the coloured lifting.” (Wilson 15) The language contains historical information and hence relates to the target audience. The use of slang in speech characterizes the language; this enhances its authentication and ability to relate to the audience. There is a dominant use of slangs such as “wanna” “gonna” and “damn” in the play. The informal nature of the language used in the play makes it more interesting since it reflects the way of life in the black community promptly.
Black vernacular, as portrayed in the play, does not uphold grammatical standards and continuous use can corrupt the English language. For instance “Well, hell, that’s what I done!” which is grammatically wrong (Wilson 15).Some phrases are difficult to comprehend since they do not follow the proper structure of a sentence for example; “Now what he look like getting mad cause...” as used in the play (Wilson15). Moreover, the use of Black Vernacular in the play limits the play to a specific group of an audience as it fails to meet literacy standards.