dialogue then & now has it changed in the last fifty years? justin sperlein
TRANSCRIPT
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)