It’s been said that societal class is “the last taboo.” It’s one of the few topics that people are reluctant to talk about. Writers are sometimes similarly hesitant to portray societal class in their characters.

But the topic is important. Not everyone in our books and stories can be professors, corporation executives, or royalty. For realism we must include characters from all societal classes.

There are several designations for those who are in a lower class. Some terms are “blue collar,” “working-class,” “commoners,” or even the somewhat offensive “rednecks.”

The best term may be “lower middle class.” We’re talking about those who may not have gone beyond a high school education (or even dropped out) and/or who work, for example, as mechanics, restaurant servers, or cab drivers. They probably aren’t financially well off.

It’s a sensitive topic. How do we portray these characters without giving offense? There are many ways, but this article addresses only speech patterns. I’ll show a lower-middle class speech pattern, then repeat the sentence as a middle-class or higher person might say it.

To portray a lower-middle class character, have them . . .

Drop their “g’s”

lower-middle class: “I plan to spend the day washin’ my car and runnin’ some errands.”

vs.

middle-class or higher: “I plan to spend the day washing my car and running some errands.”

Mispronounce common words

“I told ya not to do that.”

and

“Yeah, I’m gonna run to the store.”

vs.

“I told you not to do that.”

and

“Yes, I’m going to run to the store.”

Use imprecise words

“I’m going to buy some stuff for dinner.”

vs.

“I’m going to buy some T-bone steaks and potatoes for dinner.”

Repeat concepts rather than amplifying them

“He’s a large man. He’s really big.”

vs.

“He’s a large man. He probably weighs 300 pounds.”

Use simplistic words

“It was a great day at the beach.”

vs.

“It was a delightful day at the beach.”

Employ verbal pauses

“I’m, ummm, thinking we should, you know, go to the mountains instead of the beach.”

vs.

“I’m thinking we should go to the mountains instead of the beach.”

Utilize improper grammar

“I could care less if he’s mad.”

vs.

“I couldn’t care less if he’s mad.”

Speak in slang

“How are you guys today?” (speaking to both a man and a woman)

vs.

“How are you both today?”

Putting it all together

Note that characters don’t need to use these speech patterns all the time. Indeed, that would be overkill. But here’s an example that uses all these techniques.

A character is talking about how he’s going to earn some extra money and says . . .

“I’m gonna do some paintin’. So I need ta run to the store to, you know, git some things. I’ve got a big job tomorrow. It’s huge. It will pay good, though. I’m charging the guy $30 an hour.”

vs.

“I’m going to do some painting. So I need to run to the store to buy paint brushes and a drop cloth. I’m doing a big job tomorrow—a living room and a bedroom. It will pay well, though. I’m charging $30 an hour.”

What a difference! There’s no doubt we’ve portrayed the character as lower-middle class in the first paragraph and a higher class in the second.

One final thought: I mean no disrespect to anyone. Indeed, I respect anyone who earns an honest living. But there’s a useful place in our writing for characters of all societal classes.