Eliza Clark’s newest novel, Penance, written in the voice of a disgraced male journalist who attempts to write a true crime story on the girl pack murder of teenager, Joni, is not subtle in its representation of misogyny. A stand-out moment is the configuration of the teenage girl’s voices on the page. Many of the ‘teen speak’ sentences end with question marks. This is a misrepresentation of the natural rising intonation that is common at the end of a sentence.
My mind cannot travel back to when I have not ended discussion points with a statement phrased as a question. My speech appears to be littered with doubt. Even if this is not the intention, the rising intonation is always there to reveal what seems to be a subconscious and stereotypically female inferiority.
The actual term for this criticised intonation is High Rising Terminal (HRT). An article written for the BBC titled ‘The Unstoppable March Of The Upward Inflection‘ places the origin of HRT in several locations, including the San Fernando Valley of California. Joan Didion writes on the impermanence of life in the Valley, the Santa Ana winds and tumultuous weather disrupt life and unsettle the general culture. Maybe those winds blew in the unique Californian dialect during the early 80’s. The accent is known infamously as the Valley Girl accent or ‘Uptalk’.
In ‘On Language: Like, Uptalk?‘ for the New York Times Magazine in 1993, James Gorman notes that in a study by McLemore, sorority girls suggest that ‘Uptalk’ is not a thing of insecurity. The sorority girls use it as a tool for inclusion. Adapting the tone of voice allows the listener to feel involved.
To them, it just evens the playing field?
Yet, this reveals a language constructed by men that – and I am speaking in general stereotypes here – requires most women to soften the blow of their statement to ensure others feel included. There is a world where the widespread adoption of this kind of intonation is a positive attribute. It highlights the imperfections of the English language that do not make room for stereotypically female intonations. HRT creates a space in the conversation to include all levels of intellect without adopting a patronising tone. However, this reception of the rising intonation is unrealistic in a misogynistic world.
The New York Times article is over 30 years old. HRT has been around longer than Gen Z. Most of us have grown up speaking in this way, and I do not hear it going any time soon. The rising intonation at the end of my sentences presents my thoughts as doubts, even when they are solid. I am not a 90’s Valley Girl but a Gen Z Essex girl. Both categories are mocked for their accents and general appearance. Surely it must be the English equivalent?
The Americanisms started to infiltrate my language from about the time I became obsessed with Disney Channel. No self-doubt or insecurity was associated with my linguistic adoptions, just sheer imitation and interest. When did a seemingly innocent childhood game become labelled as a sign of inferiority? The BBC article suggests that the other English-speaking countries outside the UK do not take such an issue with HRT. The problem in the UK is that we have adopted a view of HRT as something associated with low intellect; it is lazy, American, childish, or, worst of all, girly.
A rising intonation signifies a question in the English language. The natural assumption, then, is that the HRT typically adopted by younger girls and ingrained into the speech patterns of Gen Z because of the media they consumed as children is a sign of confusion or a lack of confidence in asserting their points.
Eliza Clark presents the male journalist’s own bias and misogyny when he writes the girls’ statements as questions. Yet, as McLemore points out, the sorority girls viewed it as inclusive. How HRT is perceived depends on who is on the other end of the conversation. Even if I know that my proclivity to use HRT at the end of the sentence is not a sign of inferiority, some people will view it as a weakness. Namely, men who witnessed the birth of Uptalk and watched as their children began to speak with this annoying intonation.
They could just get over themselves?