Dialogue
English Lit: Edexcel IGCSE Of Mice & Men, topic 5.1.1
Steinbeck's Use of Dialogue
Dialogue is when characters are speaking directly to each other. There are large sections of the novel which are comprised almost entirely of dialogue between characters.
Purpose of dialogue
- The use of dialogue gives a more realistic feel to the novel.
- The characters communicate in a way that would have been typical of 1930s ranch workers, and this helps the reader to imagine the scene more clearly.
Choice of language
- Steinbeck carefully chooses the words that each character uses in order to reveal aspects of their personalities. This helps the reader to understand, and empathise with, the characters more easily.
Phonetic spelling
- Steinbeck uses phonetic spelling as a technique to create realistic dialogue.
- Phonetic spelling is when words are spelt how they sound in the accent of the speaker.
- For example, Steinbeck often uses “an’” for ‘and’ and “jes’” for ‘just’.
- This allows us to read the dialogue in the voices of the characters.
Slang
- Steinbeck also often uses slang.
- Slang, which refers to commonly used, normally informal, words.
- For example, in the novel, Steinbeck refers to the local brothel as the “flop”.
- Slang changes all the time, and it is therefore a useful way of placing the novel in a particular time period: the slang used in Of Mice and Men is typical of the 1930s.
Test yourself on Dialogue
What kind of feel does dialogue give to the novel?
What type of spelling does Steinbeck use in dialogue?