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| single versus double quotation marks http://infinitesummer.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=283 |
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| Author: | troybob [ Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | single versus double quotation marks |
I've been wondering if DFW's use of single quotation marks for dialogue is just a style thing, or if there is some other practical purpose (e.g., how many pages would be added to the novel if all the single quotation marks were converted to double?). Elegant Complexity mentions this, but not the reason (as far as I can tell so far). I'm just wondering if there is maybe an intention for us to view the entire novel as a narration (perhaps by a narrator not necessarily completely trustworthy, as opposed to an omniscient author), such that the punctuation for all dialogue would be single quotation marks (as appropriate punctuation for quotations within quotations). Apologies if this has been addressed...the board is growing! |
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| Author: | storm [ Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: single versus double quotation marks |
I'm pretty on board with the idea of the entire novel being almost told to us, hence quotes within invisible but understood quotes. I'm not sure who this narrator is or what sort of name we give it (meta-narrator?). But I look it as DFW thinking "ok, so when someone is quoted as quoting a different person single quotes are placed inside double quotes. I'm telling this story so whatever my characters say is really being said by me so they get the single quotes and the outer double quotes are unnecessary because they should be assumed?" OR maybe the reader is the narrator? It's your inner voice that's accompanying this text the way a narrator voice does. Maybe DFW is acknolwedging that voice as the speaker of the text? |
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| Author: | rinard [ Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: single versus double quotation marks |
I think you guys are reading too much into this. Using " for primary quotations and ' for secondary is the norm in the US, but it's not the only way to do it. In Britain, that's almost always reversed. It's safe to bet that a grammar and logic nerd like Wallace was well aware of the alternatives, and picked based on efficiency (or maybe just aesthetics). |
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