Style and Technique: Language in The Slab Boys

Dialect and Slang

John Byrne uses regional dialect and Glaswegian slang throughout the play to weave a vivid tapestry of life in a 1950s carpet factory.
The use of Scottish vernacular is essential not just for authenticity, but also to highlight class divisions and regional identities.
The colloquial language used by the Slab Boys contrasts sharply with the standard English used by characters such as Alan, underscoring the social divide between them.

The language used is very much a reflection of the oral traditions of the time, giving the dialogue a spontaneous and naturalistic feel.
Byrne’s use of overlapping dialogue reflects how conversations happen in real life, with interruptions, disagreements, and partial sentences.
This technique also provides momentum, speeding up or slowing down the pacing of the drama as needed.

Byrne often uses symbolic language and metaphors to denote broader themes within the play.
For instance, the term ‘slab boys’ itself is metaphorical, representing the lower rung employees who are literally ‘hoofing’ slabs of colours for the carpets.
Similarly, the ‘design loft’ is metaphorically used to suggest the loftier (higher) social status of those who work there.

Much of The Slab Boys’ dialogue is filled with humour, sarcasm, and wit, used as a means of coping with the tedium and hardship of factory life.
This use of humour often creates a dramatic irony that underscores the grim realities faced by the characters.
Phil and Spanky’s banter and ribbing of Alan and each other provide both comic relief and a better understanding of their character dynamics.

Byrne uses linguistic cues to hint at future plot developments, a technique known as foreshadowing.
This element becomes evident when Phil talks dreamily about escaping the factory to go to art school, foreshadowing his future struggles.
Finally, Byrne’s language is often coloured with irony, especially when characters’ aspirations are compared with the harsh reality of their situations. This becomes clear in the respect afforded to Mr. Curry, despite his mediocrity and lack of respect for the boys.