Talking Proper

This study examines the images and issues implicated in the rise of accent as a symbol of social value and identity in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It looks at popular stereotypes of speech and speaker - such as "educated", "vulgar" and "parvenue" - and focuses on the rise of the idea of a "standard" accent and associated judgements about "good" and "bad" speech. The author shows how these notions were transposed into literature and education, and into contemporary images of gender and class.