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Literary Conventions
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Free Indirect Discourse | |||||||
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"Free Indirect Discourse" is a term coined by Henry Louis Gates in his study The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism. It is a narrative strategy used widely in African American writing, particularly by women writers who model their writing after Zora Neale Hurston, innovator of this narrative strategy in African American writing. "Free indirect discourse" is a blending of the narrator's voice, most often given in the diction of standard English, and the voice of the protagonist in the black vernacular. The narrator's voice is difficult to distinguish from the protagonist's. Note the following three passages: The first is the direct discourse of the narrator of Their Eyes Were Watching God; the second is direct discourse of a character, in this case, the protagonist, Janie; the third is free indirect discourse. Select three passages from Their Eyes that demonstrate the use of these three different voices. Direct Discourse of Narrator Janie hung over the newel post thinking so long that she all but went to sleep there. However, before she went to bed she took a good look at her mouth, eyes and hair. 101) Direct Discourse of Character "Bet he's hangin' round some jook or 'nother. Glad Ah treated him cold. Whut do Ah want wid some trashy nigger out de streets? Bet he's livin' wid some woman or 'nother and takin' me for uh fool. Glad Ah caught mahself in time." (102) Free Indirect Discourse In the cool of the afternoon the fiend from hell specially sent to lovers arrived at Janie's ear. Doubt. All the fears that circumstance could provide and the heart feel, attacked her on every side. This was a new sensation for her, but no less excruciating. If only Tea Cake sould make her certain! (103)
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Program content by Violet Bryan,Ph.D. and Robin Vander |
