Linguistic features of free indirect discourse in D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love

Abstract

Regarding linguistic and literary perspectives, this stylistic study aims to analyse D. H. Lawrence's use of free indirect discourse in Women in Love. The account of the study is prompted primarily by the results of the content analysis of the relevant narrative text in terms of certain linguistic features indicating free indirect discourse. The selected technical terminology pertaining to these features are (a) syntactic patterns, (b) deictic expressions, and (c) lexical patterns, provided by Monica Fludernik (1993). In addition, the study investigates Oltean's three functions of free indirect discourse (1993): (a) integrative function, (b) evaluative function, (c) referential function. Since the study is projected to develop a mixed-method for analysis, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is used and corpus-based tables are also incorporated to the study. The study argues that the author's use of free indirect discourse helps to reverberate the characters' process of self-actualization, self-awareness, self-reflection, emotional disruption, destructive instincts, alienation, stirred but submerged feelings, multitudinuous thoughts, self-deception, inarticulate outburst, anachrony, emotional upheaval, self-assessment, and efforts for exploration of future selves and possible selves. Moreover, the study shows how the author exploits free indirect discourse to represent spontaneous consciousness, reveal the character's inner self; contributes to polyvocality; makes the character's subjective voice heard; invokes irony, creates a sense of detachment as well as arousing empathy in Women in Love. Keywords: free indirect discourse, spontaneous consciousness, empathy, irony, polyvocality