"Dialect words are those terrible marks of the beast to the truly genteel"

This quote by Thomas Hardy is a commentary on the use of dialect words in language. He is recommending that dialect words are seen as a sign of inferiority and lack of refinement by those who consider themselves to be of a higher social class. He indicates that those who are truly cultured, or well-mannered and refined, would see dialect words as a mark of the monster, or something to be prevented. This quote is a reflection of the classist mindsets that prevailed in the Victorian period, when the use of dialect words was viewed as a sign of lower social status. Hardy's quote is a pointer that language is an effective tool for revealing identity which dialect words ought to not be seen as an indication of inability.