Page summary
The text I will be analyzing is “Nobody mean more to me than you and the life of Willie Jordan” by June Jordan. I chose this text because I could relate to it on the topic of language, specifically Jamaican Patois a Creole language which was created by enslaved West Africans in Jamaica, so that enslaved West Africans could communicate to each other and to their “master”.
The first aspect of the rhetorical situation would be to look at her audience. I believe her intended audience is everyone, she wants everyone to understand that English will differ whether they like it or not. Because “English cannot function inside thirty three societies on the basis of rules and values absolutely determined somewhere else.” (Jordan 1). She wishes to reach those of all races and classes and ethnic backgrounds, to help each other understand why we speak the way we do, or how the way we speak came to be. She believes that this is very important and that we should all know it. If I understand her correctly, knowing why we speak the way we do can lead to unity amongst all people of different backgrounds, and possibly bring hope or a solution on how we can end the divide amongst ourselves. I say this because the only way people can be brought together is if they have some kind of understanding with each other, and a way for us to understand each other is for us to understand why or how our languages were formed.
The next aspect is purpose, she is trying to persuade her audience into understanding or thinking English cannot function the same in thirty three different societies because people will incorporate uses of words from their native language, slang, shorten words or form sentences differently to make communication uncomplicated. With that, as I stated before people will incorporate ways in which to make the language easier for communication.
The next rhetorical situation is context. The topic is responding to Black English and how it was made. It is not “broken English”. The exigence is that people may see Black English as poor, or not English at all. But that is not the case, since English cannot be governed in every country it is spoken in to be perfect or by the standards of English in England you cannot define “Black English” as poor or inferior. No category or type of English Is better than the other, it is simply a means of communication which might be easier for a specific group of people to communicate, that does not mean theirs is inferior to yours.
The next rhetorical situation is text. The conventions of the article determine the depth of the article by comparing White English which is seen as “Superior” to Black English, or any other kind of English. Neither are superior or inferior to each other, it’s just a way people communicate with one another and how the language may change to make communication easier to comprehend.
Page analysis
The story I intend to analyze is “Nobody means more to me than you and the future life of Willie Jordan” by June Jordan. The text speaks on the topic of language, specifically the English language and how it will differentiate between cultures and how these cultures will modify the English to make it easier for their use of communication, and how the English cannot be governed in thirty-three other countries based on English in England, where the language English originated. She uses Black English (BE) to make us understand her point more clearly. She provided guidelines for them:
1. Minimal number of words for every idea: This is the source for the aphoristic and/or poetic force of the language; eliminate every possible word.
2. Clarity: if the sentence is not clear it’s not Black English
3. Eliminate the use of the verb to be whenever possible. This leads to deployment of more descriptive, and therefore more precise verbs.
4. Use be or been only when you want to describe a chronic, ongoing state of things. – He be at the office by 9 ( He is always at the office by 9.) – He been with her since forever.
I was able to compare this to Patois Pat-wa (Jamaican Creole).
1. Over deh suh (It’s over there.)
2. Red eye (Angry.) 3.
A suh it guh (Sometimes things happen.)
4. Him still deh suh (He’s still over there?!)
Both June Jordan and I can compare on why both our languages were formed, colonialism, or in other words the Trans Atlantice Slave trade.
To be taken from one place and put into another, and having to create a new language so that way you can communicate with your people, and those who may not be your people.
Patois and AAVE are considered “Broken English” even though Patois is not English, and both tend to be looked down upon as “inferior” when there is no such thing as an “inferior” language, every language is special, every language is different and has something about it that makes it different from others. Some languages include clicking, some languages may have one character with one definition but that definition may change based on the context of the situation. In Mandarin for example, the tone of a word can change the meaning of that word, mā; má; mǎ; mà can either mean mother, hemp, horse or scold. Based on tone and context.