How Does the Entertainment Industry Use Language to Depict Character?

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How Does the Entertainment Industry Use Language to Depict Character?
Because different varieties of English are affiliated with speakers from different social backgrounds and regions, it is possible to make assumptions about a character’s background by observing how they speak. The way in which someone speaks provides clues about what kind of education they received, what social group they belong to, where they come from, and so forth.
Language is a technique that filmmakers in the entertainment industry use to depict character. In the film Nil by Mouth, the type of language used makes it easy to deduce the character. The dialect of the central character, Raymond, provides a clear indication of who he is and where he might be from. His accent and immediately indicates that he originates from South East England. He deletes “h” at the start of ‘how’ and ‘half’; he employs TH-fronting so that he says (‘free’) for ‘three, and uses L-vocalization so that he says (‘aw’) for ‘all.’
Several of the vocabulary items that he uses (‘half a lager,’ ‘lager and lime,’ ‘pints of lager’) all strongly suggest a British setting, as does his repeated use of the term ‘mate.’ His grammar, particularly when he states ‘ain’t you got no ice,’ are stigmatized in the British regions, suggesting that he does not have a high level of education and he does not come from a privileged background. The communicative style and manner that he uses show that he is comfortable while ordering drinks, which indicate that he is on home turf. Thus, even before...