Response
What I find most appealing about Toni Cade Bambara’s “My Man Bovanne” is the most
obvious: her use of a very specific vernacular voice throughout the entire story that
contributes as much or more than any other facet to the development of the main
character. Her speech is grammatically incorrect, abbreviated, and lacking in
succinctness. The voice is real and the story is so much more real because of it.
Bambara makes the voice that much more convincing through several methods. She
doesn’t use apostrophes to signal abbreviations of words like “bout” (about) or “runnin
for somethin,” lending the new form that much more legitimacy. There are no
distractions to its flow.
Another way the author brings the voice to life is juxtaposing the narration with the
voices of other characters—specifically the main character’s children who criticize her.
They speak with more formal or polished English, though even they have some
vernacular edge, but not nearly as much as their mother.
Lastly, Miss Hazel, the narrator, fills her speech with slang and common phrases without
shame. She says “girlchild,” “hussy,” and “all swole up” and “how come.” The voice
just sucks you into a world and the language that’s a part of it.
Writing imitation:
I was fixin to get supper ready when Lou Ann come on in pitchin a fit bout her teacher,
sayin how he was a terrible mean un and how he just vexed her awfully.
“Bless your heart, Lou Ann, come over gimme some sugar,” I said, and she gives her
pappa a kiss and cools down some, takin the sweet tea I poured her. “Now tell me bout
this teacher of yours.”