Do you know that? You are supposed to write an essay in school. You sit questioningly in front of a blank sheet of paper and various thoughts go through your head: «Oh man, another blank sheet of paper. Actually, I don’t have a problem with that, but today it feels different. Maybe it’s the topic? No, I have I wrote an essay first thing last week. I can do it today.»
If you’re having these thoughts, or if you’re having an inner soliloquy, it’s exactly what the narrator in a novel is expressing through the characters’ inner monologue.
Inner monologue – definition
A inner monologue is a thought conversation, which the narrator uses to directly express the thoughts of his characters. So no literal speech is used. Through the inner monologue, the readers succeed in inner perceptions of the characters understood on a direct level. The inner monologue is always in the I form reproduced and contains no quotation marks or comments of the narrator.
In an inner monologue, the Thoughts of a Literary Character played back. he is one form of character speech.
The Character Speech (also called personal speech) is the wayas the characters of a literary work speak. All will do this idioms of a literary character counted. This can be direct or indirect speech, for example, but also the speech that is experienced or the inner monologue discussed here.
Inner monologue – characteristics
An inner monologue becomes without quotation marks played back. At a inner monologue will the Thoughts not spoken aloud by the characterbut only take place in their heads.
In an inner monologue, not only the thoughts of a literary character are discussed, but also theirs:
- Fears, concerns, worries
- Self-reflection: The characters think about themselves and their relationship to the world and thus to outsiders and circumstances
- problems and relationships with other people
- decisions
Inner monologue – effect
A thought conversation is viewed from the narrative perspective very informativesince the readers are looking for a immediate kind learn something about the thoughts and inner life of the literary characters.
You can imagine that compared to your own thoughts: You only share selected thoughts with other people, nobody can read your everyday worries or thoughts, as is possible in the case of the inner monologue in a literary work. If anyone could do that, he would be right there Yours world of thought involved.
Inner monologue – structure
Basically, the inner monologue in the Present is written if thoughts and feelings to be discribed. That past tense only used if by past events, e.g. B. in the form of memoriesis told.
Out of formal You can recognize the inner monologue on the one hand by the I formon the other hand because the throughts not by the narrator or another character be commented. Accordingly will also no literal speech used.
The starting point
The inner monologue begins with the Description of the initial situation. The readers learn in what situation the literary character is in order to be able to better follow their thoughts and feelings later on. The information important for the story is explained.
Description of the world of thoughts and feelings
Here the character expresses hers thoughts and feelings. This can e.g. B. done with the help of metaphors. But also other linguistic means, such as irony or Sarcasm, can be used. Inner monologues often also contain leaps of thought or broken sentences. If sentences are incomplete (as thoughts often are), one speaks of ellipses.
The use of is also characteristic of the description of the world of thoughts and feelings everyday languagee.
Internal states are also lively because they e.g. B. embody anger, anger or joy. This is why strong adjectives («impressive», «wonderful», «terrifying») are also used in character speech.
With the description of the world of thoughts and feelings, the readers become above the internal state of the figure informed.
If the literary character’s experiences evoke strong feelings in him, a expressive language gives the reader a better understanding of the character and her thoughts and feelings.
«Her indifferent way of speaking to me makes me sad. All I can think about is the pain she causes me by turning her cold shoulder.»
conclusion
Of the Ending of the inner monologue mostly stops one conclusion ready. That means the character might have a certain theme reflectedfind out about her feelings left out or one I came to the conclusion. Similar to a résumé, this is once again confirmed by the literary character.
«I’ll talk to her tomorrow, she needs to know what’s bothering me.»
Also let in the conclusion hopes formulate, fears pronounce or plans forge. You should make sure that the conclusion makes sense and fits your inner monologue.
In order to be able to write an inner monologue, you will find below the main features of the inner monologue listed again:
1. Initial situation
- Where is the character?
- What made the characters feel this way (as described in the second part of the inner monologue)?
2. Description of the world of thoughts and feelings
- What has the character just experienced?
- In what action steps did the character experience things?
- What thoughts and feelings went through the character’s head during the situations?
- Expressive language (e.g. linguistic images such as metaphors)
3. Conclusion
- Reflection on thoughts and/or experiences
- hopes
- expectations
- conclusion
Inner monologue – examples from the literature
«How long will it take? I have to look at the clock… probably not appropriate in such a serious concert. But who sees it? When someone sees it, they pay just as little attention as I do, and before that I don’t need to be embarrassed… Only a quarter to ten?… I feel like I’ve been sitting in the concert for three hours. I’m just not used to it… What is it actually? I have to watch the program… Yes, right: Oratorio! I meant: Mass. Things like that only belong in church! The church also has the good thing that you can leave at any moment.»
(Arthur Schnitzler: Lieutenant Gustl)
This excerpt clarifies what is important in an inner monologue. The figure asks himself questions and speaks through the use of the I form to oneself. The tense is that Present and there are no comments from an outside narrator. All of these factors ensure that you get an immediate sense of the character’s thoughts.
Inner monologue – The most important thing
- A inner monologue is a thought conversation, which the narrator uses to express the thoughts of his characters. as form of character speech will be there immediate thoughts tells the character.
- Through the inner monologue, the readers succeed in inner perceptions of the characters on immediate way capture.
- The inner monologue is in Present and in the I form reproduced and contains no quotation marks or comments of the narrator.
- That past tense only used if by past events, e.g. B. in the form of memoriesis told.
- An inner monologue addresses: fears, concerns, worries, self-reflection, problems, relationships, decisions, hopes.
- An interior monologue is split into: Initial situation, description of the world of thoughts and feelings, conclusion.