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Dialogue Examples

Dialogue

Dialogue refers to a conversation or discussion or to the act of having a conversation or discussion. It can also describe something related to conversation or discussion.

Dialogue, when used as a literary technique, helps to advance the plot of a narrative, as characters engage in dialogue to reveal plans of action and their inner thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, authors show us a character's inner dialogue where thoughts and feelings are revealed as the character has a conversation with him or herself. Often, we read outer dialogue, which occurs between two characters as spoken language.

Examples of Dialogue:

"Lisa," said Kyle, "I need help moving this box of toys for the garage sale. Will you help me?"

"Sure!" Lisa put her book down and moved to lift one end of the box for her brother. She glanced down into the box. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You can't give away your Harry Potter collection!"

"Well, I am not taking them to college with me." Kyle smiled at his little sister. "Do you want them?"

"Yes!" Lisa smiled back. "I will read them all again, and it will remind me of how we used to pretend to be Harry and Hermione."

"They are yours, Squirt." As Kyle smiled as his sister, he realized how much things would change in the next few days.

Example of Dialogue from Literature:

Conversation between Atticus and Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird:

After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, "Scout, ready to read?"

The Lord sent me more than I could bear, and I went to the front porch. Atticus followed me. "Something wrong, Scout?" I told Atticus I didn't feel very well and didn't think I'd go to school any more if it was all right with him.
Atticus sat down in the swing and crossed his legs. His fingers wandered to his watchpocket; he said that was the only way he could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to reinforce my position: "You never went to school and you do all right, so I'll just stay home too. You can teach me like Granddaddy taught you 'n' Uncle Jack."
"No I can't," said Atticus. "I have to make a living. Besides, they'd put me in jail if I kept you at home-dose of magnesia for you tonight and school tomorrow."
"I'm feeling all right, really."
"Thought so. Now what's the matter?" Bit by bit, I told him the day's misfortunes. "-and she said you taught me all wrong, so we can't ever read any more, ever. Please don't send me back, please sir."
Atticus stood up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed his examination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to me.
"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-"
"Sir?"
"-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Atticus said I had learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we'd have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb's ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better.
"I'll be dogged," I said. "I didn't know no better than not to read to her, and she held me responsible-listen Atticus, I don't have to go to school!" I was bursting with a sudden thought. "Burris Ewell, remember? He just goes to school the first day. The truant lady reckons she's carried out the law when she gets his name on the roll-"
"You can't do that, Scout," Atticus said. "Sometimes it's better to bend the law a little in special cases. In your case, the law remains rigid. So to school you must go."

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