Drenched in Light

Hurston’s use of dialect is widespread in many of her stories and novels, which results from her anthropological expertise. In “Drenched in Light,” dialect illustrates class and racial differences between characters like Grandma Potts and Helen. Helen, who does not speak in a dialect, has a different social status as a white woman compared to both Grandma Potts and Isis, who are poor, Black women. For example, Grandma Potts says, “You Isie-e! […] You lil’ wretch you! come heah dis instunt” (52). By writing out how the words sound rather than their correct spelling, Hurston invites the reader to read the dialogue with a deeper understanding of who these characters are. It provides insight into their backgrounds without having the directly state this information. By using dialect, Hurston also adds an element of reality to the text, creating characters that feel as though the reader could meet them in real life. It also helps build setting, furthering the cultural and geographic specificity of the story. Notably, dialect use in literature, especially during the Harlem Renaissance, is a controversial topic. While Hurston uses dialect to create a deeper sense of authenticity, other Harlem Renaissance writers felt this technique was similar to minstrelsy and diminished the Black experience.

The story alludes to fairy tales and mythology to characterize Isis and contextualize her relationships with other characters. Isis is named after the Egyptian goddess of healing and magic, and her character reflects a larger-than-life attitude; even as a young girl, Isis dreams of a life that escapes her family home and the ideals that exist there. She tells Helen (an allusion to Helen of Troy) the story of “the time when she was Hercules and had slain numerous dragons and sundry giants” (52), demonstrating that she doesn’t just want to be a princess, but she wants to be powerful. For Isis, storytelling creates a new reality where she can exist both as Isis, the young girl who must do the dishes, and as a princess or a hero. By having Isis conflate her reality with her daydreams, Hurston illustrates just how childlike and innocent her perception of the world is, especially when compared to Grandma Potts’s perspective.