cxlii 3. Topic of the conversation
The topic of the conversation is one of the affecting factors of the use of the non-standard language. The topics that are often used by the speaker to
employ the non-standard language are about the daily matters, the personal problems or other cases that have informal characteristics since the matters are
about the relax things. This affecting factor, for example, can be seen in the Dialogue 50.
Dialogue 50
In the campground. A man murmurs approbation of Connie’s guitar playing and makes a chit-chat with Pa and Tom
32. Pa
: Thas my son-in-law. 33.
First man : Sings real nice. What state y’all from?
34. Pa
: Oklahoma. Had us a farm there, share-
croppin’
135D50PJGOWf. 35.
Tom :
Till the tractor druv 136D50TJGOWh us out. 36.
First man : We from Arkansas. I had me a store, kind of general
nations store, but when the farms went the store went too. Nice a little as you ever saw. I shore did hate to give it up.
37. Data analysis:
The dialogue happened in the campground in the night. Connie played a guitar and sang a song. A small wooden house dominated the scene. There were
no facilities, so the migrants made tents and parked their trucks wherever there was a space. It was after supper and some men sat in the porch steps listening to
Connie who played a road song on a borrowed guitar.
cxliii As the music ended, a group of men walked out from the porch. One of
them murmured admiration of Connie’s playing. Pa was proud with his son in law. Then the man, Pa and Tom were involved in casual conversation. Although
they just met and knew each other, they talked in intimate style. The employing of the non-standard language above was influenced by the topic of conversation.
They talked about light thing in casual manner, so they chose to employ the non- standard language. It could make the conversation intimate and the participants
knew each other well. 4. Setting of the place
The conversation that is often performed by the speaker in using the non- standard language is in the house, in the street, in the field, in the garden, in the
market and other public places. The speaker usually uses the non-standard language in these places because the situation is relax and informal. For example,
in a gas station, someone can employ the non-standard language to another person because the gas station is not a formal place. This affecting factor can be seen in
the Dialogue 56.
Dialogue 56
In the gas station. The fat man doubts the Joads have any money Fat man
: You folks aim to buy anything? Al
: Need some gas, mister. Fat man
: Got any money? Al
: Whatta you think: - we’s beggin’ 155D56ALGOWf?
Fat man : I just ast, that’s all.
Tom : Well, ask right. You ain’t talkin’ to bums, you know.
Fat man : All in the worl’ 156D56ONGOWc I done was ast.
Data analysis:
cxliv The Joads truck was seen at a gas station. Pa took a deep leather pouch,
untied the strings and began to calculate his money as the fat proprietor advanced. The fat man asked his costumer in suspicious look. He doubted his that customer
have any money. Al showed his anger by employing the non-standard language. The fat man felt sorry for them by saying the non-standard language. They
employed the non-standard language although they just met. The setting of the place influenced the employing of the non-standard
language in the dialogue above. The gas station was on the open area and this place was not a formal place. The participants of the conversation in this place did
not have to use the non-standard language. Therefore, the setting of the place that has informal characteristic affected the participants of the conversation in using
the non-standard language. 5. Purpose of the speaking
The purpose of the speaking is also one of the affecting factors for someone in using the non-standard language. The non-standard language is
preferred for some purposes such as to show intimacy, to make a chit-chat, to make the conversation more intimate, to express anger and so on. The Dialogue
88 below is one of the examples of the dialogue in which the speaker use the non- standard language to express his anger.
Dialogue 88
In the bridge. The deputy catches Casy because he suspects Casy as the leader of the men in the camp
