Description and Dialogue in Literature: A Guide
Description in Literature
Definition
Description portrays reality, whether concrete or abstract, using words. It depicts objects, places, environments, people, processes, concepts, and emotions. Typically, descriptions are static, capturing a moment in time. However, descriptions of actions or processes can introduce dynamism.
Process
- Observation and Selection: The sender carefully observes and selects significant details of the subject to be described, considering the receiver’s knowledge and the intended purpose.
- Arrangement or Structure: The selected features are organized according to a specific criterion, such as moving from general to specific or vice versa.
- Linguistic Expression: The information is conveyed using appropriate language, whether spoken or written, depending on the context and audience.
Types of Description
Descriptions can be categorized based on their purpose and subject matter:
- Technical and Functional Descriptions: These serve a practical purpose, often found in scientific or technical texts.
- Literary Descriptions: These aim for an aesthetic effect, employing figurative language and subjective perspectives.
- Descriptions of People: These can focus on physical appearance (prosopography), psychological traits (etopeya), or both (portrait).
- Descriptions of Objects, Landscapes, Environments, and Feelings: These capture the essence of various subjects, either statically or dynamically.
Linguistic Markers
- Spatial Markers: These indicate the arrangement of elements in space, using terms like up, down, left, right, near, and far.
- Lists: These enumerate various aspects of the subject, using coordinating conjunctions or polysyndeton for effect.
- Adjectives: These modify nouns, expressing qualities, evaluations, or spatial/temporal location.
- Figurative Language: Comparisons, metaphors, and personification enhance the descriptive effect.
- Verb Tenses: The present and imperfect tenses are commonly used to convey the static nature of descriptions.
Dialogue in Literature
Definition
Formal dialogue is artificially created to mimic natural conversation, as seen in theater, film, and novels. It is a planned text that simulates spontaneous communication.
Characteristics
- Interaction: Dialogue involves an exchange between two or more speakers, with roles shifting and influencing each other.
- Artificial Construction: In literary contexts, authors carefully craft dialogues to advance the plot and reveal character.
Types of Dialogue
Theatrical Dialogue
- Dramatic Text: Dialogue and monologue are the primary forms of discourse in theatrical texts, with minimal narration.
- Stage Directions: These provide instructions for actors, including movements, gestures, costumes, and scenery.
Narrative Dialogue
- Direct Style: Characters’ words are reproduced verbatim, creating a sense of immediacy and authenticity.
- Indirect Style: The narrator summarizes or reports the characters’ speech in the third person.
- Free Indirect Style: This blends direct and indirect styles, presenting characters’ thoughts and words without explicit attribution.
- Monologue: A character speaks to themselves or to an unresponsive listener, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings.
- Interior Monologue: This represents the character’s innermost thoughts, including subconscious and dream-like states.