In the last few decades, there has been an increasing number of studies on speech in novels. Those studies have mainly focused on a discussion of the reported clause while few systematic attempts have so far been made at the analysis of the reporting clause. The types of the reporting clause differ from century to century, from register to register, and from writer to writer. Even the same writer may possibly employ different types of the reporting clause in different works, aiming at certain stylistic effects. From a stylistic point of view, therefore, the reporting clause is worthy of a careful examination in that it can be a clue to a better understanding of a writer's art and technique.
Eighteenth century prose fiction as a whole seems to offer a less elaborate presentation of speech with fewer reporting clause variations than that in later centuries. An extensive survey of Fielding's
Joseph Andrews, however, has drawn our attention to a relatively abundant variety of reporting clauses along with his skillful rendering of speech. The purpose of this article is to analyze comprehensively the structure and function of reporting clauses in Fielding's
Joseph Andrews. With a comparative discussion of some of his contemporary novels, we hope to explore a little further into Fielding's characteristic features, as well as to grasp the type of the reporting clause used most commonly in those days.
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