Dessa Rose: Language

     The language of the novel Dessa Rose depicts the dialect of the deep south when slavery was still legal. In modern society such dialect and language is considered unintelligent sounding and crude. Slaves have the harshest sounding speech due to their illiteracy and lack of proper education. Slaves were not allowed to read how to read and write, most learn English as a second language or from other slaves that have English as a second language.  Slave owners don't even bother to try and teach them proper English or expand their vocabulary because they only want them to do manual labor. It also could be due to the fact that they believed educating someone in a lower class could make them realize their standings and cause them to demand more. To keep people in their place is as easy as keeping them ignorant. The slave master's use the saying "a loud nigger is a happy nigger," (29), but they do not understand that "loud" could mean being able to communicate with other slaves to plan a rebellion or up rising. Communication can open many doors and accelerate many effects. 

    The language of the slave owners is also rough and harsh, but should have be allowed to have an excuse of being a farmer or merchant for their dialect deficiency? They are white and have access to education. They do not take advantage of the resources they are permitted. "How else kin a nigger in her condition keep happy, cept through singin and loud noise?" (29), is spoken by the Sheriff. The Sheriff is a man of power and authority but only sounds slightly more intelligent than the slaves. To discourage African American men from voting officials would administer literacy tests, but there were a sizable amount of white men could not even pass the tests. The system could have been attempting to keep the small farmers, merchants and small business white males in their place as well. The power of dialect and language can be a tool for keeping an order or hierarchy that allow the most educated to govern those with less academic intelligence.