Sex and the city: A socio-linguistic study of two main characters' language

Abstract

In our present day modern society, our lifestyle choices can be tremendous and overwhelming, and it is not rare to be judged based on these particular choices; who to be, what to do, how to dress and where to live. However, another and perhaps more important choice is how to speak; what to say, when to say it and what vocabulary to use. This essay explores whether language usage differs between the two most distinct characters in the TV-show Sex and the City; Charlotte York and Samantha Jones. Sex and the City was aired from 1998 – 2004, and it became known as the controversial TV-show that dealt with groundbreaking subjects such as women’s relationship to sex, as well as the tremendous importance of female friendships. Two different areas of language usage are examined; the first part (7.1) focuses on the different attitudes Charlotte and Samantha have regarding love and sex, and how it shows in their language choice. The second part (7.2) focuses on cursing, and how big the differences in their language usage is, based on five particular categories within the field of cursing and swear words.