ENG 101

29 October 2013
In Tony Earleys The Quare Gene, the author discusses his relationship with his
Appalachian dialect, along with how he dislikes certain foods served at his grandmothers
table. He starts off with a comedic tone, listing several of his least favorite foods, such as
watermelon and grits. When his grandmother serves him those foods, Tony refuses,
causing her to exclaim, Tony Earley, youre just quare. Earley later explores the
meaning of quare in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, and finds that it means
Queer, strange, eccentric. He explores the similarities and differences between quare
and queer, and shows that even though they sound alike, they have completely different
meanings. Contrary to what some may believe, the word quare is not archaic, but rather
a highly specific term with no other substitutions in the English language. Earley goes on
to demonstrate how certain parts of language are lost through the generations.
As a child, Earleys elementary school classmates poke fun at the way he speaks.
For many years, he is ashamed of himself. When he goes on to study Appalachian in
college, however, he learns that his way of speaking is a distinct dialect. In fact, for
Earley, the English language does not come naturally. He is bilingual; he speaks his
native Appalachian tongue with his family, but strives to speak everyday English when
speaking in public.
Earley acknowledges the influence of Horace Kepharts book, Our Southern
Highlanders, in which Kephart tells of his journey to an isolated spot in the Appalachian
Mountains, where he spends time documenting his observations and examining the
Appalachian language. Earley uses Kepharts writings to fully understand his own past

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and who he is today. Through his experiences, Earley forms the belief that parts of a
language are lost as it is passed from generation to generation. He questions whether
working to eliminate the Appalachian dialect from his language is contributing to its
endangerment, and whether he has done a disservice to his ancestors in the process.
In the end, Earley realizes the danger of losing the Appalachian language. By
eliminating it from his everyday speech, he is losing not only a connection to himself but
to his ancestors as well. Tim OBrien admonishes, Stories can save us, and Earley
writes this tale and others to regain that connection.