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Excerpt
Excerpt from The Oakdale Affair, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Partial list of correctioins made in the previous reproofing:
PAGE PARA. LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO<br />
10 6 emminent eminent<br />
15 4 2 it's warmth its warmth<br />
15 5 13 promisculously promiscuously<br />
16 1 3 appelation appellation<br />
19 3 it's scope its scope<br />
21 6 by with seasons by seasons<br />
25 1 8 Prim manage Prim menage<br />
25 2 20 then, suspicious, then, suspicions,<br />
28 12 even his even this<br />
34 6 1 it's quality its quality<br />
37 3 10 have any- have any<br />
38 4 4 tin tear. tin ear.<br />
39 2 6 Squibbs farm Squibbs' farm<br />
40 2 2 his absence, his absence,”<br />
47 5 1 sudden, clanking sudden clanking<br />
47 8 3 its the thing it's the thing<br />
48 5 2 was moment's was a moment's<br />
59 9 4 bird aint bird ain't<br />
60 8 3 dum misery dumb misery<br />
71 2 dead Squibbs dead Squibb<br />
74 1 2 tend during tent during<br />
75 7 3 Squibbs house Squibbs' house<br />
76 1 6 Squibbs home. Squibbs' home.<br />
76 8 4 business, thats business, that's<br />
78 1 1 Squibbs place Squibbs' place<br />
78 2 1 Squibbs place!” Squibbs' place!”<br />
80 6 4 Squibbs gateway Squibbs' gateway<br />
84 6 1 Squibb's summer Squibbs' summer<br />
85 6 1 thet aint thet ain't<br />
85 7 5 on em on 'em<br />
85 8 1 An' thet aint An' thet ain't<br />
85 10 1 But thet aint But thet ain't<br />
85 10 3 of em of 'em<br />
85 10 3 of em of 'em<br />
86 2 2 there aint there ain't<br />
87 5 others' mask other's mask<br />
88 6 1 Squibbs woods Squibbs' woods<br />
91 2 “They aint “They ain't<br />
91 3 I aint I ain't<br />
91 2 3 Squibbs house Squibbs' house<br />
91 6 aint got ain't got<br />
92 6 it wa'nt safe it wa'n't safe<br />
92 4 10 Squibbs house Squibbs' house<br />
94 2 1 to nothin. to nothin'.<br />
94 8 1 Squibbs place,” Squibbs' place,”<br />
97 4 2 “We aint “We ain't<br />
98 1 8 Squibbs place Squibbs' place<br />
98 3 1 hiself de hisself de<br />
98 5 4 he aint he ain't<br />
98 7 1 Squibbs place Squibbs' place<br />
98 8 2 you aint you ain't<br />
107 4 3 wont tell won't tell<br />
113 3 5 its measles it's measles<br />
113 3 6 cough aint cough ain't<br />
113 3 6 its 'it,' it's 'it,'<br />
113 4 1 I aint I ain't<br />
114 2 6 Squibb's place Squibbs' place<br />
114 2 13 simply wont simply won't<br />
116 6 3 few minutes few minutes'<br />
116 7 5 Squibb's farm Squibbs' farm<br />
121 4 she wont she won't<br />
121 5 wont.” won't.”<br />
128 7 4 can knab can nab<br />
134 2 2 an upraor. an uproar.<br />
136 8 5 we aint we ain't<br />
139 2 8 had all drank had all drunk<br />
141 3 9 Squibb's place. Squibbs' place.<br />
146 1 its sort of it's sort of<br />
146 2 3 nings entertainment ning's entertainment<br />
146 4 5 aint no tellin' ain't no tellin'<br />
146 7 1 “You wont “You won't<br />
151 2 4 wont make won't make<br />
152 1 2 Nettie Penning Hettie Penning
End of Project Gutenberg's The Oakdale Affair, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Explanation
Analysis of the Excerpt from The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs
This excerpt is not a passage from the novel itself but rather a list of editorial corrections made during the proofreading process of The Oakdale Affair (1917), a lesser-known work by Edgar Rice Burroughs, best known for creating Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. The list reveals errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and possessive forms that were corrected in a later edition.
While this may seem like a mundane technical document, it offers fascinating insights into:
- The publishing process of early 20th-century literature
- Burroughs’ writing style and editorial oversight
- Dialect representation and grammatical conventions
- The challenges of digitizing and preserving older texts
1. Context of The Oakdale Affair
- Genre & Plot: A mystery-adventure novel featuring two of Burroughs’ recurring characters, the "Wolf" (a gentleman thief) and the "Kid" (his young protégé). The story involves a kidnapping, hidden treasure, and rural intrigue in the fictional town of Oakdale.
- Publication History: Originally serialized in Blue Book Magazine (1917) before being published as a standalone book. Like many early 20th-century texts, it underwent multiple editions with varying degrees of editorial scrutiny.
- Burroughs’ Style: Known for fast-paced, pulpy storytelling rather than literary precision. His works often prioritized plot and action over grammatical perfection, leading to frequent editorial interventions.
2. Themes & Significance of the Correction List
While not a traditional "text" for literary analysis, this list reveals several key themes:
A. The Challenges of Dialect Representation
Many corrections involve non-standard English, particularly Southern/U.S. rural dialect (e.g., "aint" → "ain’t", "thet" → "that").
- Example:
- Original: "bird aint" → Corrected: "bird ain’t"
- Original: "I aint" → Corrected: "I ain’t"
- Significance:
- Burroughs frequently used phonetic spelling to convey regional speech (e.g., "wa'nt" for "wasn’t").
- The corrections standardize these forms, raising questions about authenticity vs. readability. Should dialect be preserved for realism, or "corrected" for clarity?
- Reflects the editorial tension between maintaining an author’s voice and adhering to "proper" grammar.
B. Grammatical and Possessive Errors
Many corrections fix basic grammar and punctuation, suggesting either:
- Hasty writing (Burroughs was prolific, often writing quickly for serial deadlines).
- Typesetting errors (common in early 20th-century printing).
- Examples:
- "it's warmth" → "its warmth" (its vs. it’s confusion).
- "Squibbs farm" → "Squibbs' farm" (missing possessive apostrophe).
- "tin tear" → "tin ear" (likely a misheard/mistyped phrase).
C. Consistency in Naming and Terminology
- The name "Squibbs" (a character or location) is repeatedly corrected for possessive consistency (e.g., "Squibbs house" → "Squibbs' house").
- This suggests either:
- Inconsistent usage by Burroughs.
- Editorial oversight in earlier drafts.
D. The Role of the Editor in Shaping Texts
- The list highlights how editors act as invisible co-authors, refining (or altering) an author’s work.
- Some "corrections" may be stylistic choices rather than errors (e.g., dialect spellings).
- Question: Do these changes improve the text, or do they erase intentional stylistic quirks?
3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Observations
While this is a correction list, it indirectly reveals Burroughs’ narrative techniques:
A. Colloquial & Conversational Tone
- The frequent use of contractions ("ain’t," "won’t," "wa’nt") reflects Burroughs’ informal, fast-paced dialogue.
- His characters often speak in vernacular, which the corrections sometimes standardize (potentially flattening the original voice).
B. Repetition for Emphasis
- The repeated corrections of "Squibbs" (over 20 times) suggest this name was central to the plot, possibly a location or family tied to the mystery.
- The insistence on "ain’t" (corrected 10+ times) reinforces that dialect was a deliberate stylistic choice.
C. Pulp Fiction Conventions
- Burroughs’ works often featured:
- Cliffhangers (serialized format).
- Quick, punchy sentences (leading to grammatical oversights).
- Regional flavor (dialect, slang).
- The corrections show how pulp fiction’s rough edges were later smoothed for wider audiences.
4. Broader Significance
A. The Evolution of Texts in the Digital Age
- This list comes from Project Gutenberg, a digital archive of public-domain works.
- Many early ebooks were scanned from physical copies, leading to OCR (Optical Character Recognition) errors that required manual correction.
- The list serves as a meta-commentary on how texts are preserved and altered over time.
B. Authorial Intent vs. Editorial Intervention
- Some "errors" may have been intentional (e.g., dialect spellings).
- The corrections raise questions about who "owns" a text—the author, the editor, or the reader?
C. Class and Education in Early 20th-Century Publishing
- The frequent grammatical mistakes might reflect:
- Burroughs’ lack of formal literary training (he was a self-taught writer).
- The fast-paced, commercial nature of pulp fiction (quantity over polish).
- Regional linguistic norms (some "errors" may have been standard in certain dialects).
5. Key Takeaways from the Excerpt
- Editing as an Invisible Art: The list reveals how much unseen labor goes into refining a text.
- Dialect as a Stylistic Tool: Burroughs used non-standard English to create authenticity, which editors later standardized.
- The Pulpy, Imperfect Nature of Early Genre Fiction: Errors were common in serialized, fast-produced works.
- Digital Preservation Challenges: Even "final" texts require ongoing correction when digitized.
- The Fluidity of Language: What one era considers an "error" (e.g., "ain’t") may be intentional style in another.
Conclusion: Why This Matters
While this excerpt is just a list of corrections, it offers a behind-the-scenes look at how literature is made—and remade. It highlights:
- The collaborative nature of writing (author + editor + typesetter).
- The tensions between standardization and authenticity.
- The evolution of language and publishing practices.
For readers of The Oakdale Affair, this list serves as a reminder that no text is ever truly "final"—it is always shaped by the hands that write, edit, and preserve it.
Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect, such as Burroughs’ use of dialect or the history of pulp fiction editing?