Dialect
In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God the characters speak with strong southern accents. The words are spelled phonetically which may be difficult to understand for some students. The most effective way to understand the dialogue is for students to read the book out loud so they can hear the phonetic spelling, and recognize the actual word.
Quotation:
- Nanny says, "Ah wanted yuh to school out and pick from a higher bush and a sweeter berry" (Hurston 13).
Meaning:
- Nanny wants Janie to finish school so she will be able to marry a man from a higher part of society.
Quotation:
-Jody says, "'Tain't nothin' atall tuh hinder yuh if yuh got uh thimble full uh sense. You got tuh. Ah got too much else on mah hands as Mayor. Dis town needs some light right now" (Hurston 44).
Meaning:
- There's nothing to stop you from doing this if you have a any sense, you have to. I have too many things on my hands as the Mayor. This down needs some light right now.
Quotation:
-"Whut dey want you tuh help do, you ain't gointuh like it. Dey's grabbin' all de menfolks dey kin git dey hands on and makin' 'em help bury de dead. Dey claims dey's after de unemployed, buy dey ain't bein' too particular about whether you'se employed or not" (Hurston 169).
Meaning:
-You're not going to like what they want you to do. They're making all of the men they get help bury the dead. They say they're after the unemployed, but don't seem to care much either way.
Quotation:
-"Phoeby, we been kissin'-friends for twenty years..." (Hurston 7).
Meaning:
-Janie and Phoeby are very good friends and rely on each other.
- Nanny says, "Ah wanted yuh to school out and pick from a higher bush and a sweeter berry" (Hurston 13).
Meaning:
- Nanny wants Janie to finish school so she will be able to marry a man from a higher part of society.
Quotation:
-Jody says, "'Tain't nothin' atall tuh hinder yuh if yuh got uh thimble full uh sense. You got tuh. Ah got too much else on mah hands as Mayor. Dis town needs some light right now" (Hurston 44).
Meaning:
- There's nothing to stop you from doing this if you have a any sense, you have to. I have too many things on my hands as the Mayor. This down needs some light right now.
Quotation:
-"Whut dey want you tuh help do, you ain't gointuh like it. Dey's grabbin' all de menfolks dey kin git dey hands on and makin' 'em help bury de dead. Dey claims dey's after de unemployed, buy dey ain't bein' too particular about whether you'se employed or not" (Hurston 169).
Meaning:
-You're not going to like what they want you to do. They're making all of the men they get help bury the dead. They say they're after the unemployed, but don't seem to care much either way.
Quotation:
-"Phoeby, we been kissin'-friends for twenty years..." (Hurston 7).
Meaning:
-Janie and Phoeby are very good friends and rely on each other.