Literature and English Variation
Consider the relationship between written (and, perhaps, otherwise recorded) imaginative literature and English dialectal variation. How has literature contributed to our awareness/ understanding of the various Englishes around us? You may wish to make broad conclusions or observations based on a wide array of evidence from English literature, or you may wish to hone in on one variation and its representation and perception through one particular text over time.
How has English literature's treatment of dialectal variation evolved over the years? Where do you see it going? Do authors/storytellers have a responsibility to represent the varieties of English that they know?