Dialogue Then & NowDialogue Then & Now

Has it changed in the last fifty years?Has it changed in the last fifty years?

Justin Sperlein

Reality

Dialogue

Fiction

The Set-up and the QuestionThe Set-up and the Question

1950s- An era of literary greats 1950s- An era of literary greats like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, E.B. White. E.B. White.

2000- New books rival literature 2000- New books rival literature that has had time to become that has had time to become ‘classic.’‘classic.’

Has the style changed? Has the style changed?

Side ASide A

Direct Discourse (Dialogue) is Direct Discourse (Dialogue) is the most common means of the most common means of direct contact with the reader, direct contact with the reader, and the most effective means of and the most effective means of portraying reality. portraying reality.

Dialogue is more prevalent in Dialogue is more prevalent in today’s juvenile literature than it today’s juvenile literature than it was fifty years ago.was fifty years ago.

Black, Elizabeth. Black, Elizabeth. Pragmatic StylisticsPragmatic Stylistics. Edinburgh University Press; Great Britain, 2006.. Edinburgh University Press; Great Britain, 2006.

Side BSide B

Dialogue is purely a stylistic Dialogue is purely a stylistic decision, and as such, will serve decision, and as such, will serve authors rather than eras. authors rather than eras.

The amount of dialogue in older The amount of dialogue in older juvenile literature will not differ juvenile literature will not differ greatly from that of modern greatly from that of modern examples. examples.

Black, Elizabeth. Black, Elizabeth. Pragmatic StylisticsPragmatic Stylistics. Edinburgh University Press; Great Britain, 2006.. Edinburgh University Press; Great Britain, 2006.

MethodologyMethodology

Choose four books that have Choose four books that have been widely read—Two from the been widely read—Two from the 1950s—Two from the turn of the 1950s—Two from the turn of the 2121stst century. century.

Analyze several points of the Analyze several points of the dialogue content.dialogue content.

Compare the individual and Compare the individual and collective results.collective results.

(1952)

45 Million Copies Sold

(1949)

100 Million Copies Sold

Test Subjects

(1997)

120 Million Copies Sold

(1995)

15 Million Copies Sold

MethodologyMethodology

Choose four books that have Choose four books that have been widely read—Two from the been widely read—Two from the 1950s—Two from the turn of the 1950s—Two from the turn of the century.century.

Analyze several points of the Analyze several points of the dialogue content.dialogue content.

Compare the individual and Compare the individual and collective results.collective results.

Boring Data SpreadsheetBoring Data Spreadsheet

HP- pg 103- total sample size 128  

total in total out avg length total " total "

59 69 8.8125 60 59

in out length beg q end q

0 10 2 9 8

0 10 10 11 12

0 7 23 8 7

0 6 2 12 12

0 12 13 13 12

0 4 8 7 8

2 0 1    

10 2 7    

13 0 42    

10 0 1    

0 12 8    

0 1 9    

8 2 3    

7 0 5    

8 3 1    

1 0 6    

MethodologyMethodology

Choose four books that have Choose four books that have been widely read—Two from the been widely read—Two from the 1950s—Two from the turn of the 1950s—Two from the turn of the century.century.

Analyze several points of the Analyze several points of the dialogue content.dialogue content.

Compare the individual and Compare the individual and collective results.collective results.

Dialogue up to this point

In

Out

In

Out

In

Out

In

Out

Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe Sorcerer’s Stone

Then Now

Charlotte’s Web Golden Compass

Results by Era

35%

65%

In

Out

54%

46%In

Out

According to current data, dialogue has

increased 19% over the last fifty

years.

Then

Now

ProblemsProblems

Small sample sizeSmall sample size Number of booksNumber of books Quantity of textQuantity of text

Large gap in between sample Large gap in between sample groupsgroups

Clerical errorsClerical errors

Future WorkFuture Work

Look at texts from different Look at texts from different genres within Juvenile Literaturegenres within Juvenile Literature

Examine several types of Examine several types of character thought and discoursecharacter thought and discourse

Look at International texts from Look at International texts from the same time period (Astrid the same time period (Astrid Lindgren, Saint-Exupéry)Lindgren, Saint-Exupéry)