SLOBODNI NEUPRAVNI GOVOR U ROMANU EMILA ZOLE „TROVAČNICA“

Abstract

The object of this paper is the analysis of free indirect speech in the novel The Drunkard (L`Assommoir) by Emile Zola. We discussed the phenomenon of free indirect speech as a unique expression of polyphony, or the emergence of multiple voices within a single utterance. Our analysis demonstrated that Zola uses it to give voice to his characters, which can be heard in three ways: firstly, with a clear distance from the narrator’s voice (conventional free indirect speech); secondly, as a sequence of multiple voices (choral free indirect speech); and thirdly, as a fusion of the narrator’s and characters’ voices, with their distinctions difficult to discern (ambiguous double-narrator free indirect speech). The author’s goal was to create a realistic atmosphere and foster a sense of closeness and trustworthiness with the reader in his novel. We could say that the narrator’s voice, whether explicitly represented in free indirect speech or skillfully concealed (conventional and ambiguous free indirect speech), is most often inclined toward the workers, especially regarding the position of women, but it can also serve as a voice of critique. The choral type of free indirect speech is primarily used to depict the character traits of the working class, thus providing the reader with a more credible, realistic, and authentic opinion, as it originates from the primary source ‒ the perspective of multiple members of the class. Regarding the linguistic aspects of free indirect speech, we observed that it possesses typical features for identification within the text: the presence of interjections, third-person pronouns, imperfect, pluperfect, conditional, as well as specific, authentic vocabulary of the working class. Additionally, we noted that Zola, although rarely, employs the second-person plural pronoun, again with the purpose of skillfully guiding the reader to clearly understand the writer’s message. Finally, we aimed to illustrate how Zola uses all three methods of transmitting the speech ‒ including direct, indirect, and free indirect speech ‒ depending on what he aims to emphasize and how he describes the characters’ traits.