The contribution of pronominal gender to the representation of hybrid linguistic identity

Abstract : The present study looks into linguistic hybridity in American literature at the turn of the twentieth century, more specifically into the representation of standard and nonstandard American English. The two varieties differ, among others, in their use of pronominal gender: the feminine is more common in references to inanimates in the nonstandard language. Although this difference was widely used by American authors at the time, it has been very little studied. Focusing on Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, this article seeks to determine the pattern of use of the feminine in the work.