Why does everyone have an accent except me?

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This may sound like a child’s question, but if you look at the books of the literary canon (those read in English classes), you will see that the Midwest and West Coast have no accents. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gastby (from San Fransisco) uses formal English grammar and conventional spelling. On the other hand, characters in Huck Finn (Southern), The Color Purple (black), and Their Eyes Were Watching God (black) talk with their regions unique dialect and spellings that don’t match the dictionary.