The nature and function of dialogue in the short stories of Henry James

Abstract

The thesis opens with a short introduction setting forth my aims and reasons in choosing to work on dialogue in the short stories. It continues, in the first chapter, with a description of varieties of speech other than dialogue, of component parts of Jamesian dialogue, and of the two distinct types into which it falls. Chapter two demonstrates James's use of dialogue for purposes of characterisation, with a preliminary examination of his range of characters. In chapter three, the main types of Jamesian themes and 'atmospheres' are outlined and the ways in which these are brought out by means of dialogue. Chapter four describes the two kinds of action to be found in the tales, and an attempt is then made to prove that the most important of these two - psychological action - is often most effectively conveyed through dialogue, with the reasons for this. (The influence of the drama is also discussed.) The next chapter, on form, begins with a brief recapitulation of relevant points in the preceding one, continues with an analysis of the short story form as seen by the first critics and practitioners of it, and ends with a comparison of tales by Prosper Merimee, Guy de Maupassant and James himself, in illustration of the advantages of the 'scenic' method for this particular genre. There are yet more comparisons in chapter six, this time of passages from James's 'early', 'middle' and 'late' tales, and one from his plays. Thus, the influence of the drama is examined in more detail, and a distinct change in technique is traced. The last chapter deals with the vexed question of 'realism' and 'stylisation'. James's dialogue is compared and contrasted with that of three 'realistic' writers - Arnold Bennett, Dorothy Richardson and Harold Pinter. Finally, after a brief conclusion, in which it is suggested that James's contribution to English fiction can be seen most clearly in his dialogue, there is a short appendix on the probable influence of Plato, the 'Revue des Deux Mondes', and Gyp on James's concept of the dialogue form. 1 Edel's definition will be used throughout, i.e. 'early' = 1864-1881; 'middle' = 1881-1901; 'late' = 1901-1910.