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Summary Relevance of speech in English literature
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Additional explanation of the relevance of speech and its influence on character perception and more in English literature.
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Speech, Speech, Speech!The use of speech as characterization.
“It had been my custom to throw the babes into the river which nature had thoughtfully provided
for the purpose, but that night I did not dare to leave the oilery for fear of the constable. ‘After all’, I
said to myself, ‘it cannot greatly matter if I put it into this cauldron.’” (p. 800, Bierce, 1952) Three
simple lines within a story, speaking volumes about the character of the protagonist. Boffer Bing’s
attitude towards his family, animals, his fellow human beings and the world is never explicitly stated
but implicitly present throughout his narrative voice, in other words his manner of speech.
The stylistic element of speech can most easily be defined as the choice of words of a
character. However, this simplification leaves out many of the nuanced effects of particular forms of
speech. On the one hand speech is often employed as a subtle way of indirect characterization; by,
for example, having a character speak in clinical terms or in extremely flowery prose. One can tell
volumes about a character’s personality and his/her/its attitude towards an object by the way they
refer to people and objects. The fact Boffer refers to the dead child as ‘it’ and his interpretation of
the function of the river, shows his complete disregard for human life and the notion that the world
only serves tool to be used.
On the other hand, there are many more ways in which speech can be employed. The
leaving out of certain information, or the interruptions and silences within a dialogue can convey
subtle meanings which can guide an interpretation. Take for example the following dialogue from
Hemingway’s short story “Hills like White Elephants”
“No, I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do---”
“Nor that isn’t good for me,” she said. “I know. Could we have another beer?”
“All right, but you’ve got to realize---”
“I realize,” said the girl. “Can’t we maybe stop talking?” (Hemingway, 1927)
Here it is equally important to consider the words unspoken as those which are being uttered. The
woman in the story is pregnant. He, on the other hand, wishes for her to have the child aborted. This
particular bit of information is casually referred to at the beginning of the narrative; however, it
never truly returns in the discussion between these two characters. Yet, the abortion constantly
looms in the background; peering from between the lines. By avoiding to address the elephant in the
room and by cutting of the sentences of the man it can become clear this topic has been discussed
for a long time; and the girl is highly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation is going and
the outcome which it implies.
Another example of how a choice of words or turn of phrase can define a character is in
Romeo and Juliet. When first introduced to Romeo we find ourselves confronted by his extreme, at
times over the top, use of language.
Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, // Should without eyes see pathways to his will. //
Where shall we dine? [seeing blood] O me! What fray was here? // Yet tell me not, for I have
heard it all. // Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. // Why then, O brawling
love, O loving hate,//O anything of nothing first create,// O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
// Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,// Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick
health,//Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! // This love feel I, that feel no love in this. //
Dost thou not laugh?” (1.1.164-176)
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