Human beings is created as a social creature, they use words, signs or symbols to express their thoughts or feelings. We can notice someone’s thought or feeling by their uttered words which is then become a continue action if we reply them. The way a man talks showing his social status both in white or black community. Each social class has its own language to communicate and unite them.
“A language also means how a person uses that language, or a collection of signs or expressions a person or a specific group of men has. On account of that, we knew of a variety of ‘language’, such as the children language, the student language, the scholar language, the workers language, the craftsmen language, and so on. We know even of the ‘language’ of animals, taking the word in a very board sense.” [1]
In the adventure of Huckleberry Finn, such matter of language is occurred, even in the beginning of the story. I choose several characters to show how their act of speaking has significant impact on their behaviour and has great differences among them all. The character will be Huckleberry Finn, Jim, Colonel Grangerford and Buck.
First is Huckleberry who has his own language to utter his thoughts or feelings. At first Huck speaks like a naïve village boy but then he improves his speaking as the result of his unconscious acceptance of Mrs Douglas and Mrs. Watson’s education. This state exists when Huck tell stories of Moses, King of Solomon and Louis XVI to Jim. But in a part of the story Tom Sawyer accused him as a dull boy though he has already have read Don Quixote. His freedom addict makes him live uncomfortable with Mrs. Douglas. Sometime his thought or feeling is not uttered but only occurred inside of him, still, it has impact on his behaviour so that other people may notice what goes in his mind.
“I couldn’t stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, ‘Don’t put your feet up there, Huckleberry; and ‘Don’t scrunch up like that, Huckleberry – set up straight’ and pretty soon she would say, ‘Don’t gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry – why don’t you try to behave?” [2]
“Well then, why ain’t it natural and right for a French-man to talk different from us? You answer me that.”
“Is a cat a man, Huck?”
“No.”
“Well, den she ain’t got no business to talk like either one er the yuther of ‘em. Is a Frenchman a man?”
“Yes”
“Well, den! Dad blame it, why doan’ he talk like a man? You answer me dat!” [3]
Colonel Grangerford is a gentleman and his aristocracy exposes on the way he talks and acts. Huck is amazed by his performance. His words are gentle but straight to the point. I presume anyone talking to him will feel his self pride and awareness but it seems that everyone loves him.
“There – I reckon it’s all right. Come in” [4]
Buck is Huck’s slave given by Col. Grangerford. His words are uttered perfectly in good sequences. He is the contrary of Jim. Perhaps it caused by his improvement and education in Col. Grangerford household. Huck feels the same way like I do, so in a part of the story Huck asked him to investigate whether his feeling is true or not.
“Can you spell, Buck?”
“Yes,” he says.
“I bet you can’t spell my name,” says I.
“I bet you what you dare I can,” says he.
“Allright,” says I, “go ahead.”
“G-o-r-g-e J-a-x-o-n – there now, he says.
“Well,” says I. “you done it, but I didn’t think you could. It ain’t no slouch of a name to spell – right off without studying.”[5]
Lie is also an outcome of someone’s thought and expressed on his action or words. Huck tells many lies some are useful and some don’t. Finn thinks that making lie is tolerable to have fun or to save his or others life. His first lie is when he was still living with the widow. His biggest lie is the making of his own death which leading Pap Finn and Jim, the slave, accused as the murders.
Reference
Bracher, Mark, “Jacques Lacan, Diskursus dan Perubahan Sosial: Pengantar Kritik-Budaya Psikoanalisis”. Jalasutra. 1997.
Leahy, Louis. “Human Being”. Kanisius. 2008.
