Black Robe

Two distinct (and often combative) cultures trying to communicate with one another involves various languages. In the text, there is a marked difference between the speech patterns of the Europeans and those of the native peoples. While they are all presented in the same language, aesthetic differences illustrate to the reader that there is a separation between the various languages. One of the key differences is profanity, which is used frequently by the native peoples and almost never by the Europeans. Whenever profanity appears in the text, it functions as a motif, revealing to the reader the spoken language without explicitly stating so.

The choice to make the speech of the so-called “Savages” more profane reflects their different cultural values in contrast to the Europeans. Whereas the Europeans speak French and Latin (as well as the local languages), the local people speak only their own languages (which, in turn, have various dialects). The language of the priests is—as expected—clean and purposeful. They are educated, having studied long and hard in their seminary years. The locals have no such formal education. To them, language is spoken (not written), and changes are made to accommodate this difference. A