Is slang acceptable for a literary essay?

[mooooom]

We've been doing PTIW this year, and she says no slang in formal writing. But somehow a literary essay seems more of a cross between formal and creative writing. Thoughts? Or real knowledge to correct me?

[Michelle in MO]

I wasn't an English major, but I do remember all of my English teachers in h.s. did not allow slang in our papers. I would think slang would be appropriate for a work of fiction, but I personally wouldn't use it for a literary essay.

How do the English majors weigh in?

Just curious! It's a good question, though.

HTH!

[Plaid Dad]

I would allow slang in a personal essay but not a literary one (assuming I'm understanding what you mean by literary in this context). I think of literary essays as having a somewhat formal, elevated tone, and slang would not mesh with that.

[mooooom]

I am looking at my son's paper. He has two sentences I question: "They will attack if attacked, but will keep their hands to themselves if they don't feel they are in danger." and "They are not peaceful, and love the glory of battle, but it would have to be a good reason to pull them off their seats".

Is this imagery or slang?

[Plaid Dad]

He's shifting register. The italicized phrases are more colloquial than the surrounding writing. I would ask him to try to match the formality of the initial phrasing, e.g., "They will attack if attacked, but will refrain from action if they do not perceive themselves to be in danger."

Does that help?

[Laura K (NC)]

and have a clear reason for using it.

I wrote an essay in college on Countee Cullen's poem, Incident (http://www.AfroPoets.Net/counteecullen1.html), and I wrote it all in southern dialect and in the first person. I had a reason for doing so, and got an A on the paper. I was writing as an older southern gentleman who didn't quite know how he felt about the poem and black people in general.

Plaid Dad gave good advice; if the paper is to be formal, then colloquialisms are out of place. A writer should assess his audience and choose whether to write more or less formally. I think a case can sometimes be made to write less formally, but that's more tricky. Expository essays should always be more formal, I think, but literary essays involve personal opinion and the style (including the formality) can be adapted to the subject. If the subject is war, then maybe if you're evaluating generals' speeches you might be more formal. If you're talking about life in the barracks or field, a paper might be better written with the colloquialisms that would be germane to the setting.

The second sentence example needs to be reworked, I think, but it's difficult to tell out of context.

[Laura Corin]

I agree with Plaid Dad. He needs to pick a register, and in this case it should be more formal. The only place (in our rubric) for colloquialisms or contractions in a literary essay is in quoted speech.

The only exception is if the piece is an imaginative reconstruction of a historical point of view, the equivalent of a short piece of historical fiction. Then you pick an appropriate register/voice for that. Calvin, as I write, is putting together a letter from a Luddite to a local magistrate, explaining his actions. That should definitely be in a credible voice for that person, not a formal register.

Best wishes

Laura

[cajun.classical]

I am looking at my son's paper. He has two sentences I question: "They will attack if attacked, but will keep their hands to themselves if they don't feel they are in danger." and "They are not peaceful, and love the glory of battle, but it would have to be a good reason to pull them off their seats".

Is this imagery or slang?

I'll chime in here. I'm a former College and High School literature teacher. I wouldn't call it slang, but like Plaid Dad and Laura have pointed out, it's a bit informal. If he has a formal tone in the paper, then he should be consistent the whole way through.