NarratologyIntermediate
Interior Monologue
Direct representation of a character's inner speech.
Principle
Inner speech is dramatic when it is pressured, partial, and alive.
Takeaways
- It can be quoted, unquoted, orderly, or fragmentary.
- It differs from summary of thought because it gives thought a present-tense surface.
- Too much undirected interiority can dissolve scene pressure.
Overview
Interior monologue presents a character's thought as a kind of inward speech. It may be grammatically controlled or fragmentary, but its purpose is to put the reader inside the movement of thought rather than outside it.
Examples
- A character silently rehearses a confession while saying nothing aloud.
- A commuter's fear appears as repeated fragments rather than explanation.