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Female (and also some male) Barbadians, narrative notes that the Barbadians pride
themselves on their superiority
5g. Consistency of representation
Quite consistent, no evidence of code-switching
5. Variety #5: Methodist sermon given by „a tall negro‟ [p. 544]
6. Narrative comments on dialects and varieties
On introduction Mrs Handycock is described as ‗a little meagre woman who did not
speak very good English‘ (p. 5).
Chapter 4 (p. 40 ff) Simple ‗puzzled with very common words‘ (common words but
with specialised sailing meanings), including faggot, monkey‟s tail, double war,
horses, stirrups, sister, sheepshank, whips, puddings.
Character of the boatswain Chucks characterised in detail through his language.
He appeared to have received half an education; sometimes his language was
for a few sentences remarkably well chosen, but, all of a sudden, he would
break down at a hard word. (p. 98)
He attempted to be very polite, even when addressing the common seamen,
and certainly, he always commenced his observations to them in a very
gracious manner, but, as he continued, he became less choice in his
phraseology. O‘Brien said that his speeches were like the sine of the poet,
very fair at the upper part of them, but shocking at the lower extremities. As a
specimen of them, he would say to the man on the forecastle, ―Allow me to
observe, my dear man, in the most delicate way in the world, that you are
spilling tar upon the deck – a deck, sir, I may venture to make the observation,
I had the duty of seeing holystoned this morning. You understand me, sir, you
have defiled his Majesty‘s forecastle. I must do my duty, sir, if you neglect
yours; so take that – and that – and that – (thrashing the man with his rattan)
– you d-d hay-making son of a sea-cook. Do it again, d-n your eyes, and I‘ll cut
your liver out.‖
Chucks accounts for his language as follows:
―But I must defend myself by observing the very artificial state in which we live
on board of a man-of-war. Necessity, my dear Mr. Simple, has no law. You
must observe how gently I always commence when I have to find fault. I do
that to prove my gentility; but, sir, my zeal for the service obliges me to alter
my language, to prove, in the end, that I am in earnest. Nothing would afford
me more pleasure than to be able to carry on the duty as a gentleman; but
that‘s impossible.‖ (p. 134)
Chucks then tells the story of his childhood and upbringing, which accounts for his
code-switching. Chucks ends up as ‗Count Shucksen‘ through a complex set of
circumstances (see pp. 620-4).
7. Other points of interest
p. 60 Peter encounters a ship‘s crew who speak very politely: ―What surprised me
most was, that although the men employed appeared to be sailors, their language
was very different to what I had been lately accustomed to on board of the frigate.
Instead of damning and swearing, everybody was so polite. ―Oblige me with a pull
of the starboard bow hawswer, Mr Jones.‖ ―
Other varieties briefly represented in the narrative include the language of the
prostitutes who try to seduce Peter (p. 85), Celeste as a young girl speaks broken
English (p. 203) but later learns English as Peter learns French
O‘Brien adopts both Scottish and Irish accent in telling the story of his ancestors
(p. 101 ff.) and occasionally uses Irish words himself e.g. p. 219 spalpeen and Irish
pronunciation, e.g. p. 293 ‗nately‘ for ‗neatly‘, but not at all consistent. O‘Brien also
not good at long words though, e.g. p. 259 ―If I have any knowledge of phiz – what
d‟ye call it,‖ (physiognomy)
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