Direct speech is a writing technique where the exact words of a character are quoted. It is used in fiction and non-fiction to avoid misrepresenting someone’s speech. Indirect speech is used when the specific words are not important or for artistic purposes. Direct speech can also be used to represent a character’s thoughts.
Direct speech is a writing method used to represent the speech of characters or people by directly quoting their words. In general, a sentence with direct speech identifies the speaker and includes the spoken words in quotation marks. For example, the sentence “The man said, ‘Tomorrow I’m going to the mall’” directly quotes what the man said. In indirect speech, on the other hand, the meaning of the speech is represented, but the exact words are not quoted. “The man says he’s going to the mall tomorrow” is an example of indirect speech.
A writer may want to use direct speech for a variety of different reasons. The use of direct speech tells the reader that the writer is not presenting an interpretation of someone’s speech but, rather, is presenting the exact words used by the speaker. It also distances the reader somewhat from the writer, as the reader gets to interpret the speaker’s exact words without feeling as though the writer is acting as a mediator between the character and the reader. These allow the reader to somewhat suspend disbelief in works of fiction. Direct quoting is also quite common in non-fiction, as it helps ensure that the writer does not accidentally misrepresent a real person’s speech or meaning.
There are also many reasons why a writer avoids the use of direct speech in some situations. The specific words used in a given statement or conversation are not always important, and representing speech indirectly is often more efficient. In other cases, the writer wants to remind the reader of his mediating presence, often for artistic purposes. Writers of literature and poetry often have to consider the pace and flow of their writing. The use of quotation marks and line breaks in direct speech tends to produce a relatively rough pace, so some writers use indirect speech when a smooth pace is needed.
In many cases, direct speech is also used to represent the thoughts of the characters. This method suggests that the writer is quoting a character’s thought stream verbatim. A variety of other methods are also used, including the usual methods of indirect speech, italics of characters’ thoughts, or simply stating the general topic of the thoughts. Direct speech for thought representation suggests to readers that the narrator has the power and vision to see clearly and directly into the minds of characters.
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