Gee’s theory represents different dialects and how someone may or may not become accustomed to them. He refers to these different dialects as discourses and believes that everyone has a discourse, they are comfortable in but can learn a new one at any point in time. Jordan describes a specific discourse which is referred to in her story as “Black English.” She introduced her students to the book the color purple thinking that her students might relate to it better since they talk in a similar way but instead the students didn’t like the way the characters talked and found it funny and wrong. I think these views are seen as controversial because people believe that the way someone talks would be very easy to understand. But Gee says in some instances it’s very hard to adjust to a discourse that is not our own. But sometimes it can also be easy if you accept it with open arms. For example, when I was a junior seven football players from Canada, and they had some very odd slang when I first heard it. As I got to know them more, I also began to understand the slang and using it myself. Those guys became some of my closest friends and sometimes I use that slang currently. Jordan’s opinion on the book was controversial because she assumed that the students would like the book and relate to the characters. The students instead did the opposite and wanted no parts of the book.
Mush fake is when is when someone basically tries to fit in. They make up speech to try and seem like they know what is going on. That is why it is mush or a bunch of nothing and also fake because it is not actual terms used by anyone.
