Participation roles in free indirect discourse

The narrative device called free indirect discourse (FID) has received attention from literary scholars interested in narrative because it uses certain syntactic forms to produce a subjective report of speech or thought. This thesis takes a strictly linguistic approach, making use of findings in pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Goffman (1981) contributes a theory of footing in which a speaker can adjust the alignment with an utterance. Levinson (1988) revises Goffman\u27s participation roles to reflect the more complex reality of the speaker/hearer dyad. This thesis argues that FID\u27s unique form and interpretation might be better explained within the language paradigm of speaker and hearer if Levinson\u27s revisions of Goffman\u27s framework are adopted. An analysis of Annie Proulx\u27s short story collection Close Range supports the claim that free indirect discourse in literature constitutes a shift in speaker footing. Using Levinson\u27s terms, it is posited that in standard narration an author transmits to an audience. In free indirect discourse, though, the fictional character in question acts as a formulator, who is understood by an overhearer, the reader