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Told in the first person by Peter Simple, who presents himself as being ‗the greatest
fool of the family‘ and thereby chosen to join the navy. Despite falling for every trick
played on him, his native honesty steers him through and, despite nearly being
condemned to Bedlam by an unscrupulous relative, he ends up making his fortune
and inheriting the family title.
4. Overview of varieties / dialects
Hero meets various dialect-speaking characters in his travels through society and
world. Marryat is quite inventive in some of the dialect characters he invents (see,
for example, Chucks and Lady Rodney). In fact, there is considerably more invention
here than in Marryat‘s later novel Percival Keene.
5. Variety # 1: Simple‘s landlady Mrs Handycock and her cook
5a. Sample of dialect
Before I had been there ten minutes, she told me that she ―hadored sailors – they
were the defendious and preserviours of their kings and countries,‖ and that ―Mr.
Handycock would be home by four o‘clock, and then we should go to dinner.‖ Then
she jumped off her chair to bawl at the cook, from the head of the stairs – ―Jemima,
Jemima! – ve‘ll ha‘e the viting biled instead of fried.‖ ―Can‘t, marm,‖ replied Jemima;
―they be all hegged and crumbed with their tails in their mouths.‖ ―Vell, then, never
mind Jemima,‖ replied the lady. – ―Don‘t put your finger into the parrots‘ cage, my
love – he‘s apt to be cross with strangers. Mr. Handycock will be home at four
o‘clock, and then we shall have our dinner. Are you fond of viting?‖ (p. 6)
5b.1 Orthography
[v] for [w]: viting, ve‟ll, vell
Elision: ha‟e,
H addition: hadored, hegged
5b.2 Grammar
Non-standard to be: they be all hegged
5b.3 Vocabulary
None noted
5c. Dialect area represented
Cockney?
5d. Density of dialect representation
Medium
5e. Location of dialect
Dialogue
5f. Characteristics of dialect speakers
Female - cook but also lady of the lodging house. Husband does is much more
standard.
5g. Consistency of representation
Some evidence of code-switching: Mrs Handycock seems more standard when
talking to guests but switches to cockney to bawl at cook or talk about kitchen
matters (although this is not consistent)
5. Variety # 2: General sailor speak
5a. Sample of dialect
―Larn,‖ cried the sailor, interrupting us, ―no; it may be difficult for such chaps as me
before the mast to larn; but you, I presume, is a reefer, and they an‘t got much to larn,
68
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