Socio-Linguistic Perspectives In Modern Literary Texts: A Case Study Of Language Variation And Identity Politics

Abstract

Objective: Employing the examination of linguistic diversity in recent literary works, my paper will focus on identity politics and social commentary. Through the study of a few chosen case studies from different books of modern times, we look into the linguistic employment of dialect, slang, code-switching, and other techniques to explore how authors do this to identify their characters and also to understand the silent power that lies in race, gender, class and other ways of marginalisation.

Methods: The close reading approach of the study is applied to demonstrate language variations of dialogue, narration and other story elements across five recent highly-favored novels using different characters' perspectives. Spelling that is not consistent with standard English is recorded and the patterns are articulated across characters in each marginalized group. Discourse examination deals with the issue of the language style in different registers which are regarded as the reflection of the varied social positions and identities in the worlds described by different authors.

Results: Characters belonging to minority ethnic and class origins are frequently marked by using non-standard language, slang, and language switching more common than privileged characters. Authors purposefully use different language to portray noble and slave ranks of the civil society and the type of problems encountered by the people on lower levels of social hierarchy. Languages are then represented by certain dialects which are a symbol of these marginalised identities. On the other hand, some characters utilise the same manipulation of language to stand up against unrestricted social structures and norms.

Conclusion: For creators to utilise a non-mainstream choice of linguistic forms provides an opportunity for commenting on real sociolinguistic differences that are stereotypically associated with African Americans, women, and poor people. Markedly, present-day authors deliberately alter the vocabulary in specific ways to form the characters and kind of connection they have which is born out of the social structure. Linguistic choices either grant a sense of marginalisation or of empowered resistance is another point