Character Analysis: Zora Neale Hurston

Brendan Connolly

Dr. Edwards

Language and The Human 2

27 January 2023

Title (Prompt 2)

The use of language plays an integral role in Zora Neale Hurston’s foundational work, Mules and Men. Throughout her careful curation of ordinary conversation and imaginative tales, elements of Bucholtz and Hall’s concepts of authorization and illegitimation are present in each level of storytelling. In presenting her own speech, the interactions of her subjects, and the dialogue within the folktales, the language choices initially seem to serve disparate purposes and to represent a potential instability. For example, Hurston’s accurate transcription of the speech of her subjects results in the authorization of their dialect. Conversely, the dialogue among characters within the folktales

In the introduction, Hurston starts by using a more formal style, stating “I knew that I was going to have some hindrance among strangers” (3). She then switches to a more informal tone when speaking to the townspeople. In Chapter One when explaining why she came to the town, she says “ah come to collect some old stories and tales and ah know y’all know a plenty of ’em…” (8). This switch in style was done to gain the trust of the townspeople. In the introduction, Hurston describes how “Folklore is not as easy to collect as it sounds. The best source is where there are the least outside influences” (2). By changing the way she speaks to more closely align with the townspeople, Hurston was able to eliminate the perception of her as an “outside influence” and gain the trust of the local people. With this trust, Hurston was able to capture a more accurate and comprehensive view of the lives of these people, which she then transcribed into Mules and Men. By creating literature that accurately describes the lives of the townspeople, Hurston legitimizes their