Speech and thought representation in Hemingway: The case of free indirect discourse

Abstract

The paper looks into modes of speech and thought presentation, with a particular interest in Free Indirect Discourse. Taking a functional perspective on Free Indirect Discourse, the research studies its formal and stylistic features in E. Hemingway’s short stories. The aim of the study is to outline the factors that determine Hemingway’s choice of this particular mode of discourse presentation. The discourse analysis of 37 samples of FID usage reveals a correlation between the formal features (deixis, tense usage, character speech markers) and stylistic functions of Free Indirect Discourse. These include either distancing the narrator from the character or virtually merging the two together.