Interesting comments, Kerry, especially on swearing:"Swearing is used as an identifier, historically, and while I've not noticed its absence from any social group, White and Hargrove used it to help establish their membership among a group who'd been identified by its use as historically unworthy of better pay and benefits."Besides being an adjunct instructor, I work in a grocery store. We recently got a new front end manager. The first time I cursed in front of him, he asked me not to do so, as it offended him. I've found it hard to do. I've never had any problem cleaning up my language around customers, but cursing's so natural "backstage" it just flows. The word fuck is definitely used regularly in working class life.
Now that doesn't mean I need or want the word strewn indiscriminately throughout any book I read about the working class (nor that it should be avoided). As you also note, Kerry, any literary world is a construct. And realism is far from "real."
Mark
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