The following links are to three different variations of "The Night Before Christmas." We are all familiar with the traditional version, and I am sure most of us have even heard "The Cajun Night Before Christmas." However, for those of us who are not familiar, I would like to introduce a new version to think about.
Originial - http://www.christmas-tree.com/stories/nightbeforechristmas.html
Cajun - http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=1022468
Ebonics - http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19599
The two variations of the original poem bring insight into two separate regions and cultures. The Cajun poem uses examples of the Cajun French dialect, and the ebonics poem demonstrates use of AAVE. As readers, we find these humorous because they depict a typical stereotype of a particular dialect. However, do some find it offensive? Is it possible that some feel that they are being falsely portrayed? For those of you from Louisiana, do you feel that "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" is amusing because it is an accurate description of your life or of someone you know? Or is it just something you find entertaining overall? As I read the Cajun version , I noticed that it depicts its speakers as overindulgers (mainly with food and alcohol). They also refer to alligators, which is what we are immediately reminded of when we think of the bayou. (When I first became a student at LSU, I remember people asking me if Louisiana residents actually rode alligators.) Moreover, the ebonics version implies that people who speak this way are accustomed to a life of thievery and crime.
I think that taking traditional literature and translating it into another culture can be very helpful when we are trying to understand something we are not part of. The only thing is, we have to be careful not to misrepresent an image or insult a way of life. As I have learned this semester, preserving our diversity is important to our identity and individuality.
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This was very interesting. When reading both, in my mind I was picturing a stereotypical image of the authors.
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in Louisiana and I don't find it offensive. I know a lot of people from Pierre Part, La. who are very very cajun and make fun of themselves.
I think that the author is playing up the stereotypical ideas of Louisianians. I think that what makes it so funny is that we know its a joke. I think that people who live elsewhere know its a joke also.
I think that the AAVE version has a less humorous vibe to it. Probably because of the way crime and thievery are implied. Also, unlike the cajun version people really do speak and spell like this and it is becoming more and more of an issue. I think that is what takes the humor out of it.
It is a funny thought that even without seeing the author, the reader can have a false image or a false idea of the person without ever meeting them.I think that this means that as teachers, we should encourage students to write in proper standard English so that when they go for a job interview and hand over their resumes it won't be assumed that they are uneducated. This goes not only for AAVE but for Cajun French speakers also.
Great prompt, Kelsey. One thing I particularly like about it the way it reveals the "baggage" that language carries in our society--it's not just about spelling or pronunciation; we assign it meanings like "overindulgent" or "uneducated" or "violent criminal." To leap from the way I spell to the amount I drink or whether I own a weapon seems absurd when it's made this obvious. At the same time, that's exactly the kind of leap that we regularly make (it's made in some of the articles/videos posted here, in fact!) This is the stuff that language prejudice is made of.
ReplyDeleteI want to add a couple of questions that folks might want to consider:
-Accuracy. I can't speak to the accuracy of the CVE version, but the "ebonics" version is actually not grammatical AAVE! As we've learned, AAVE is a systematic language just like SE or French or any other; as such, it has rules--many of which this version breaks. People just DON'T speak or spell like that. Does that change anything about the way you read or think about it?
-Status. As we've talked about, even though all dialects are linguistically equal, they are accorded different status in society. How does that figure into the humor or lack of humor of each piece?
I remember hearing the cajun version on the radio for the first time last Christmas and I thought it was hilarious. Growing up in Chalmette, there were a few people in the lower areas of St. Bernard who spoke with this dialect. But even after hearing it for 18 years, I still was somewhat amazed when I heard the song. I have always thought this dialect was spoken by less-educated people, but I never compared it to AAVE in anyway. It was also strange reading the Cajun version because I could read through it without much trouble and without having to stop very often.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while I was reading the AAVE version, I stopped several times. This song defines what I have thought of people who lived ten minutes away from me in the ninth ward. That whole area was made up of poor black communities of uneducated people. It was almost hard to read this version because got so aggravated. You know I guess it's becuase for so many years, I drove through that area and I saw so many things (drugs, guns, etc) and I feared for my life. I grew up being told by my parents and my friends' parents not to stop in the neighborhood even if a cop was behind me. So, to read something in ebonics with drugs, killing, and profanity was typical and annoying. It's hard to read stuff like this because it reminds me of the people in Hurricane Katrina. Maybe some people will think that is absolutely ridiculous. But this version made me think of a young black male living next to the levee in the ninth ward. And there are so many things that I guess I'm hostile about that happened during the hurricane, many things which most people (those who didn't reside in Chalmette) are not aware of.
But for the most part, I found humor in the Cajun version and anger in the ebonics version.
I found that the Cajun version was very accurate to correct Cajun Vernacular. I think both versions played up the lower class connotations very dramatically. I think the authors really wanted the language and the actions to fit the stereotypes that many people see . I noticed on the cover of the Cajun version that there is a picture of what appears to be a house that is in a swamp or country. I think the author chose this image to purposely give the reader a look into the story’s background and life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie about picturing the type of person that would be in the Ebonics version. I did the same thing for the Cajun version. I picture a fat old man wearing blue jean overalls. I think that through the language and descriptions, both stories were trying to accomplish these two different images. This post shows to me how dialect can be tied to regions and people and how the same story can be told from a different perspective. I think that is what these two versions are accomplishing. These writers are trying to show two different types of perspectives in different people’s lives. I noticed that all the versions have universal messages of family and hope. I think both stories tried to play up the humor and I think they achieved that. The Ebonics version was trying to take a cherished symbol in Santa Claus and make him into the stereotype that fits the environment or people. I could also see the Cajun version doing the same thing.
Should the Cajun or Ebonic versions be accepted by a teacher as a creative writing assignment? Does the language or dialect in the two new versions take away from the creative twists that the author put in? How much does the use of dialect take away from the original message itself?
I agree with Kelsey's comment that translating literature into different dialects is useful, because it allows readers to compare and contrast a language that they perhaps are not familiar with. The three versions of "The Night Before Christmas" reminded me of several class discussions we have had throughout the semester about whether it is wrong or right to allow AAVE in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteEach of us has shared different opinions on this topic, but I believe there is more to this issue than whether Ebonics is considered "grammatical" or acceptable for English class. As Kelsey stated, the Cajun and Ebonics versions depict stereotypes of these cultures. Of course, every dialect is associated with a certain culture, and stereotypes are created for every one of them. That is what makes a dialect special! I personally am flattered when people joke with me about my Texas
"twang" because it makes me different! I think what is important about dialects in the classroom is not how the students speak, but what they do. If they show dedication and put thought into their schoolwork, then they should be rewarded!
Another great discussion...
ReplyDeleteKatie, you raise some points that seem potentially really important but I'm not sure I fully understand them (when it comes to surviving Katrina, I see your point that those of us who weren't right there may never understand). The fact that the AAVE version of the poem is aggravating makes sense--it is deeply, deeply problematic (I mean, come on: watermelon?!?!)--but I think that it's aggravating to different people for different reasons. I'm having trouble seeing what it is, specifically, that troubles you about it, and don't want to assume that it's the same thing that troubles me about it. Can you elaborate a little bit?
Another question for everyone: Katelin raises the question of the authorship of each piece.
ReplyDeleteDoes it matter whether the author of the Cajun version was Cajun? Does it matter whether the author of the AAVE version was African American? What would it change if the author was not a speaker of the languages s/he is parodying?