Language and Cb[ecLlflcaLlon ln 8emalns of Lhe uay

lrene 1ung Lngllsh 27 1997

ulscourse and language conLrlbuLe slgnlflcanLly Lo SLevens selfsub[ugaLlon ln 1he 8emalns of Lhe uay
SLevens ln many ways appears a represenLaLlon of Lhe colonlal or posLcolonlal sub[ecL Pls uLlllzaLlon of
upperclass Lngllsh for example exempllfles one form of asslmllaLlon and acculLuraLlon slnce ln order
Lo perform hls [ob he musL acqulre Lhe language of Lhose he serves ln addlLlon by obscurlng class
markers of language Lhe buLlers requlred use of upperclass Lngllsh helghLens Lhe Lransparency of
servlce LhaL ls by uslng dlcLlon pronunclaLlon and speech rhyLhms slmllar Lo LhaL of hls upperclass
employers he creaLes an lllusory appearance of llkeness wlLh Lhem and Lhls lllusory appearance
prevenLs hls employers from havlng Lo confronL poLenLlally Lroubllng dlfference

Pls manner of speech leads Lhe Lownspeople LhaL he meeLs on hls Lrlp Lo mlsLake hlm for a dlsLlngulshed
genLleman 1he forelgnness of hls language suspends hlm beLween class llnes unable Lo lnLeracL wlLh
Lhose he mlghL conslder close Lo hls peers 1he LransformaLlon of hls language makes hlm a sLranger ln
all lands ln uarllngLon Pall he ls always on oLher peoples Lerms ln oLher peoples words Powever Lhe
effacemenL of hls humanlLy can be undersLood ln Lerms of hls relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe Lngllsh language

Language ls an empLy Lool for peoples ldeas as SLevens has become a Lool ln Lhe servlce of oLher
peoples agendas 1he superflclallLy and performaLlvlLy LhaL ls lnherenL ln language ls eplLomlzed ln
elemenLs such as accenL whlch oughL Lo be a Lool Lo convey ldeas 8uL ln hls case LhaL performaLlvlLy ls
Lhe end noL only Lhe means slnce ln hls poslLlon he ls a vessel for oLher peoples ldeas

SLevens refers Lo good accenL and command of language as superflclal characLerlsLlcs LhaL can be
separaLed from Lrue dlgnlLy whlch aL lLs core enLalls an conslsLenL absence of emoLlon ?eL hls
relaLlonshlp wlLh language ls lnexLrlcably bound wlLh hls lnablllLy Lo emoLe

Pe ls aL a loss Lo communlcaLe wlLh Mlss kenLon or wlLh hls faLher wlLh Lhe dlscurslve Lools LhaL he
possesses Pls language ls noL an adequaLe emoLlonal framework wlLhln whlch Lo llve and he seeks ouL
oLher words Lo llve by ?eL he even frames Lhe language of a romance novel lnLo Lerms LhaL he ls
accusLomed Lo

l ofLen Lended Lo choose Lhe sorL of volume Mlss kenLon had found me readlng LhaL evenlng slmply
because such works Lend Lo be wrlLLen ln good Lngllsh wlLh plenLy of eleganL dlalogue of much pracLlcal
value Lo me A welghLler booka scholarly sLudy whlle lL mlghL have been more generally lmprovlng
would have Lended Lo be couched ln Lerms llkely Lo be of more llmlLed use ln Lhe course of ones normal
lnLercourse wlLh ladles and genLleman (168)

lor larraday SLevens value lndeed hls moneLary value sLems from Lhese same characLerlsLlcs lL sLems
noL necessarlly Lhe quallLy Lhese characLerlsLlcs slnce larraday probably would noL be a quallfled [udge
of buLlerhood buL raLher ln Lhe semblance 1he characLerlsLlcs whlch quallfled hls socalled dlgnlLy now
lncrease hls markeL worLh Pe has spenL hls enLlre llfe performlng Lhe real Lhlng and lLs worLh wlLh
larraday ls now nakedly based on hls performance of Lhls role

8anLerlng as SLevens calls lL ls anoLher mode of language of dlscourse lL ls a manner of exchange LhaL
he ls noL famlllar wlLh and LhaL puLs hlm lll aL ease ln submlLLlng hlmself Lo anoLher mode of dlscourse
he ls agaln bendlng hls language for anoLher persons ends