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Allusions
Chapter 3: Childhood of Anna Lensky
Explanation and Analysis—Fawce Little Thing:
The Rainbow is set in the East Midlands of England, the region where Lawrence was born and raised. In the novel, as in many of his other works, he captures the speaking patterns and dialects of the English working classes, and more specifically, of the working classes of the East Midlands. His use of this dialect is evident in a scene in which Anna accompanies Tom to the market:
‘My word, she’s a fawce little thing,’ the landlady would say to Brangwen.
‘Ay,’ he answered, not encouraging comments on the child. Then there followed the present of a biscuit, or of cake, which Anna accepted as her dues.
‘What does she say, that I’m a fawce little thing?’ the small girl asked afterwards.
‘She means you’re a sharp-shins.’
Anna hesitated. She did not understand. Then she laughed at some absurdity she found. Soon he took her every week to market with him.
Tom was born and raised in the (fictional) village of Cossethay in the East Midlands and often employs the regional dialect. Anna, however, was raised by a Polish mother and has only recently moved to this region. As a result, she occasionally fails to understand the dialect. Here, the landlady of a local inn describes Anna as a "fawce little thing," to Anna's confusion. When she presses Tom for an explanation, he jokingly responds with another informal slang phrase, referring to Anna as a "sharp-shins." Both phrases suggest that Anna is clever and "sharp," especially for her age. Lawrence, then, uses this dialect in order to help establish familiarity with the local region.
