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Comms Module 2 Essay

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Nirvan Rampersad
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49 views1 page

Comms Module 2 Essay

Uploaded by

Nirvan Rampersad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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20/10/23

Danielle Seepersad
Communication Studies- Module 2 essay.

In the extract taken from George Lamming’s “A Wedding in Spring,” we are met with two
characters, that being Snooker and Knickerbocker. With the use of various dialectical
variations and multiple grammatical features, we get a clearer picture of the writer’s main
idea in the extract, which is Snooker’s unwillingness and refusal to wear a top hat at his
wedding and Knickerbocker’s attempts to convince him to do so.
The writer uses two forms of dialectal varieties: Creole and standard English. The use of
Creole is observed in phrases like, “My body, not to mention my face, ain’t shape for dis kind
o’get-up.” Followed by, “an’ dis is de kind o’ headpiece Kings does wear,” along with “An
tomorrow, I goin’ to play king,” Lamming utilises casual language, that being the Creole form
of dialect to appeal to a different (Caribbean) audience and add a more entertaining touch to
his story. The form of creole spoken between the two characters can be classified as mesolect.
The author narrates the story using Standard English to detach himself from the characters in
the story and since standard English is a universal appeal it will give readers who are not
familiar with the Creole dialect a more vivid understanding of what is occurring in the piece.
Along with the dialectal varieties Geroge Lamming employs various grammatical features,
two prominent ones being the third-person singular verb and front focusing. The use of the
third person singular verb is seen in the phrase, “an’ dis is de kind o’headpiece kings does
wear,” the singular verb being the word, does. The author makes use of this feature to
emphasize the Creole dialect. The front-focusing feature can be identified in the line, “Is
downright, absolute stupid to make me harness myself in dis mornin’ costume…I ain’t no
Prince Phillip or ever want to be…” The feature is used to enhance cohesion and put
emphasis on Snooker’s refusal to wear the top hat.
The writer’s way of portraying the non-verbal communication seen in the extract gives
those reading a stronger view of what is happening in the story and the character's feelings
towards the specific situation. In the line “He watched it, swore at it, then stopped as though
he was going to sit on it,” readers get a vivid picture of Snooker’s disdain for the top hat.
Another line where non-verbal communication is observed is, “Snooker thought he could
hear the sweat spilling out of his pores,” this is effective in displaying the character’s unease
and nervousness.
To conclude the dialectical varieties and grammatical features were chosen for this extract
because of the nature of the piece and the audience, as well as the casual setting and
relationship of the characters. These language choices further communicated the attitudes of
the characters to the readers. Essentially the language used, and the character interaction
added a deeper sense of entertainment to the piece granting a lighthearted comical experience
to the readers.

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