swearing | K Morris

Licence to use obtained – Copyright nazlisart at 123RF

I recently read a post in which the author liberally employed the use of expletives/swear words. The article was on the subject of marketing and made a number of valid points. However the utilisation of foul language detracted from the points being made (to my mind at least) and had it not been for the employment of swear words I would have shared on Twitter.

I don’t consider myself to be a prude. There is a place in factual articles for the employment of expletives. For example a report of court proceedings will (quite properly) report that the defendant swore at a police officer and repeat the words used. I am frustrated when certain newspapers refuse to print expletives in full. Adult readers know what foul language is and are perfectly able to cope with reading it when it is necessary to their full understanding of a court case or other similar situation.

I also believe that the utilisation of swearing is justified in the context of literature. For instance a novel portraying the lives of gangsters would, in my opinion be wholly unrealistic where all the criminals in it to speak as though they where monks or nuns. In short what I am objecting to is the employment of 4 letter words for no good reason. To my mind the utilisation of such words merely to provoke a response conjures up an image of a person with a limited vocabulary (they use foul language due to their inability to find other words to express themselves). In many instances this may not be the case. None the less the liberal use of expletives gives that impression to me at least.

I am not in favour of banning things. Each blogger is entitled to write as he (or she) sees fit. It is, however a matter of regret to me that a minority of people seem to believe that it is somehow “cool” or “clever” to sprinkle their posts with bad language for the sake of doing so. I for one find it offensive. As always I would be interested in my readers views.

Kevin

I have an intense dislike of foul language. To me the casual use of swear words conveys that the person indulging in such behaviour is either immature or possesses an extremely limited vocabulary and can not comprehend how to express themselves other than by swearing. Of course I am no plaster saint. I do, on occasions swear, however my use of four letter words is, almost always confined to instances such as when I stub my toe painfully on furniture and is, almost always an involuntary response to acute pain.

While I loathe the unthinking use of foul language for the reasons set out above, characters in my most recent collection of short stories, The First Time do use language which I, personally find offensive. However the employment of foul language is an integral part of that characters response to an extreme and highly stressful situation. For me to avoid the use of such language because I find it offensive would be a betrayal of literary integrity, it simply wouldn’t represent a credible response by the people in The First Time to the circumstances which confront them. For example take the following passage from The First Time in which Julie, a prostitute is faced by a client who is determined to have unprotected sex with her despite Julie’s determination that the man must use a condom

“The client rolled on top of Julie and opening her legs thrust forward attempting to penetrate her. “What the hell are you doing? I don’t have unprotected

sex” Julie yelled pulling away from him. “I’m clean, I don’t have anything”! “”Either we use a Durex or I’m out of here”! The man swore vilently but submitted

as Julie rolled a condom down over his erect penis. He mounted her and began to hump away.

Some sixth sense told Julie that something was not quite right. She could feel the guy’s hand fiddling around with the condom. “What the fuck do you think

you are doing?!” Julie jerked her body away but she was to late. The client shot inside her leaving the condom lying like a deflated balloon on the matress.

“You selfish bastard, what the hell do you think you are doing”. “you’ve been paid now just fuck off out of my flat”.

For Julie to have said “excuse me but would you mind terribly using a condom as it will protect both you and I” rather than reacting as she does in the above passage would not be credible. In fact it would be risible. No, Julie’s response is authentic in that it is how one would expect a sex worker to react given the same set of circumstances. The language employed by prostitutes and their customers is often peppered with four letter words. Clients do not say “Can I make love to you?” they are more likely to say as nick, a minor character in my online novel, Samantha says, “I want to fuck”. Nick’s desire for sex is wholly unconnected with tenderness or love, consequently it would not be in character for him to say “I want to make love”.

In summary the casual use of foul language merely as a means to shock is to be deplored, however its employment in the context of literary integrity can (and should) be vigorously defended.

(to purchase The First Time by Kevin Morris please visit the Kindle Store on amazon.co.uk or amazon.com).