What is free indirect discourse?
A narrative style that blends the character's thoughts and feelings with the author's voice.
Literary Mind-Meld: How Free Indirect Discourse Blends Narrator and Character
Free indirect discourse is a narrative style that blends the character's thoughts and feelings with the author's voice. This means that readers experience the story directly from the character's perspective, but with the added tone and context of the author's language. It's as if the narrator and character are participating in a literary mind-meld, melding their voices and perspectives into one.
This technique can create a sense of intimacy between reader and character, allowing readers to feel what the character feels, without interrupting the flow of the narrative to switch to a first-person perspective. It also allows authors to add depth and complexity to their stories by introducing nuances of language and tone that may not be possible with a more traditional narrative style.
Free indirect discourse can be found in many classic works of fiction, where it is used to create a seamless blend between the narrator's voice and the character's thoughts and feelings.
The novel features an impressionistic style that blends the characters' inner thoughts and emotions with objective reality, giving readers a unique and immersive read.
The narrative is told from the perspective of an adolescent Holden Caulfield, and the use of free indirect discourse allows the reader to enter his mind and experience his confusion and disillusionment.