INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
1.1. Utterance is a premise-meaning concept, the central object of pragmatics.
And pragmatics, instead of studying language in the static form, with the rigid,
invariant rules and structures, focus on how language used for communication,
and consider the relationship between utterances and their context, between
utterances and their users. This approach allows pragmatics to recognize
patterns, functional principles and language’s variety.
1.2. In communication, utterances are organized in two types: dialogue and
interior monologue. Dialogue always shows the interactive relationship
between the speaker and the direct listener, their visual presence during the
process of communication. Therefore, it is the important resource for
pragmatics to find out the functional principles and the operating
characteristics of the language. In communicatin, interior monologue often
occurs implicitly, is directed not to anybody ouside except the subject of
interior monologue. It is an exchange, that the speaker uses to communicate to
himself - a special audience. That is why study of interior monologue from the
conversation theory is almost vacated.
1.3. Interior monologue exists quite common in the actual use of language to
communicate, but it is present obviously and particularly only in dramas,
novels, short stories. Interior monologue reproduced in dramas, novels, short
stories… obviously can not ensure the absolute impartiality, and the origin of
this form of word, but on a certain level, the writers must always respect the
characteristics of nature, the arise principles and its functions. So, when the
conditions to materialize the interior monologue are not enough in real life,
interior monologue in the artworks is a reliable source for the study of it can
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achieve the initial basic results. To study this form word in literary works is
also to study the methods of organizing language of the writers, to contribute
to forming the language style of the author.
1.4. After 1975, Vietnamese literature stepped to a new period of

monologue study on two scopes: in Vietnam and abroad.
2.1.1. The results of interior monologue study abroad
Foreign researchers focus to study the interior monologue on two issues:
The first problem is to determine the existence status of interior monologue in
novels and short stories. We can generalize the study of this problem into two
basic trends: interior monologue as a technique, a method of the writer in the
construction of works (Wiliam Flin Thrall & Mario Klarer’s point of view)
and interior monologue as a form of speech, the characters use to perform
communication (VB Kasevich’s opinion).
The second problem is the determination of interior monologue, distinguish
it from the concept of consciousness stream. Some authors identified these
two concepts, typically Motilova Tamara. However, most of researchers
suggests that interior monologue and consciousness stream are two different
concepts, although they have a close relationship.
2.1.2. The results of interior monologue study in Vietnam
In Vietnam, specific studies on interior monologue have very limited
quantities. However, authors such as: Dang Anh Dao, Nguyen Thai Hoa, Tran
Dinh Su have some particular emphasis given to interior monologue when
they refer to the innovation of stories metrics and modern novels. Besides
pointing out the role of interior monologue to the stories metrics, the authors
also offer observations, analysis of the personal pronoun of interior
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monologue (Dang Anh Dao), speaker’s role, listener’s role and signs of nature
of actions in interior monologue (Nguyen Thai Hoa) etc.
Many Vietnamese linguists have studied interior monologue as a form of
human speech. Do Huu Chau said that the speech exchange process takes
place in interior monologue due to the dichotomy of personality: the listener
personality and speaker personality. Studying the form of narration, Mai Thi
Hao Yen has paid attention to the types of language action appear in the
narration of interior monologue etc.

language style of writers, the work content and story metrics in particular.
5. Methods of the study
The dissertation combines the following research methods:
- Statistics - classification - description
- Semantic meanings - activities analysis
- Analysis - generalisation
- Comparison
6. Contributions of the study
Conducting the dissertation Study the characters’ interior monologue in
short stories of Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue,
we determine the contribution of the dissertation on the following aspects:
Firstly, the dissertation mainly focuses on a deep study of the interior
monologue in light of the theory of conversation and pragmatics, research it as
a form of speech which is used to communicate.
Secondly, from the achieved results, the study will confirm some issues of
conversation theory (the role of the audience factor, the governing of outer-
language factors to the use of language, the nature of the speech act ),
confirm the close relationship between linguistic and interdisciplinary sciences
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such as cultural study, poetics, literary theory, sociology, psychology.
Thirdly, the important aspects of literary works such as: character,
language style of authors, story metrics will be seen from the functional
characteristics of the interior monologue - a form of communication via
language.
The dissertation includes four chapters:
Chapter 1: Theoretical background
Chapter 2: Speech acts of the character’s interior monologue in
Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Huy Thiep and Nguyen Thi Thu Hue
short stories
Chapter 3: Semantic meanings of the interior monologue in Nguyen

thoughts, feelings, reactions of the speaker in a certain context, with a
suitable syntactic structure.
1.2.1.3. Interior monologue and stream of consciousness
The distinction between interior monologue and stream of consciousness is
expressed mainly in three aspects: formal structure, contents and forms of
expression.
1.2.2. Characters’ interior monologue of and the author’s words
In interior monologue, character’s words could be "role-borrowed" by the
author to express his thoughts, reviews, perceptions about life. In the interior
monologue of the characters, we can notice the characteristics of the language,
the tone of the writer. However, at a certain level, the characters still exist
quite independently with the author as an individual, has a separate spiritual
life, emotion, cognitive needs and characteristics. Thus, despite of the author
"intrusion", interior monologue directly made by characters that is still the
personal statements of character should be analyzed and investigated.
1.2.3. Types of interior monologue of the characters in short stories
In short stories, interior monologue of the character exists in two forms:
directly interior monologue and indirectly interior monologue. The
dissertation focuses only on directly interior monologue.
1.3. Criteria to identify the interior monologue of characters in Nguyen Minh
Chau, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue short stories
The dissertation offers four criteria for determining the interior monologue
of characters in short stories by NMC, NHT, NTTH: formal criteria, structural
criteria, contextual criteria and subjective criteria. Based on this criteria
system, we has identified 467 interior monologues of characters in 94 short
stories of three authors.
1.4. Summary
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Determining that interior monologue is a form of speech what is used to
perform communication, the dissertation has employed a number of

interior monologue of characters in short stories by NMC, NHT, NTTH.
These are the actions done when uttering something, such as creating a
promise, making a question, giving a name [quoted in 5, p.89]. When giving a
monologue in a specific context, the character makes a speech act, in order to
achieve a certain goal. Their effectiveness is the effectiveness of the language,
directly impact the subject of the monologue.
2.2. Distinguish speech acts in dialogue and speech acts in monologue
Dialogue and interior monologue from the side of speech acts, has the
distinction on: the ability to express the nature of speech acts, the direction of
fit between words and world and effectivness of utterance, the role of
performative verbs in the expression of specific action.
2.2.1. Ability to express the essence of the speech act
In the dialogue, the nature of speech acts can be shown visually and
clearly. Responses, actions, attitude of the listener after receiving the
exchange from the speaker are the most typical and particular manifestations
for speech act types.
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In the monologue, speakers use utterances to effect in themselves some
change of thoughts, emotions, actions. However, this interaction occurs inside
the speakers, not visually, clearly as in dialogue.
2.2.2. Direction apply and effect of the speech acts
When using speech acts in the dialogue, direction of impact and effect of
utterances are given mainly towards the listeners. Meanwhile, in the interior
monologue they are applied on the subject and effect the subjects’ (speakers’)
perceptions, emotions, action-orientation of the.
2.2.3. The role of performative verbs for the representation of speech acts
In dialogue, performative verbs have specific roles, such as: express the
corresponding illocutionary acts, emphasize the responsibility to implement
the illocutionary force of the speaker, express some speakers feelings,
attitude…

527 190 0, 358 times per page
2
NHT’s short
stories
534 103 0, 192 times per page
3
NTTH’s
short stories
512 174 0, 339 times per page
NMC’s characters have the most introspective conversation with the
frequency of 0.358 times per page. Characters in NTTH short stories need less
monologue with the frequency of 0, 339 times per page. NHT's character
made fewest interior monologue number of uterances: 0.192 times per page.
2.4.1.2. Statistics results of speech acts of interior monologue
Table 2.2 (see original text, p. 75) has listed 40 types of speech acts of
utterances in interior monologue with specific data for each type of acts. Three
common speech act groups are: cognitive action group (typically is ask,
confirm); expressive action group (typically is insult) and causative action
group (typically is ordered action). Speech act group which is uesed to
establish relations (greeting, asking, congratulating, introducing ) does not
appear in the 467 utterances of surveyed interior monologues.
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2.4.2. Conditions for use of speech acts of interior monologue
Conditions for making speech acts of the dialogue and identifying them are
always realized in the conversational relationships between speakers and
listeners. In interior monologue, conditions for making illocutionary acts are
mainly carried out from the speakers.
2.4.3. Conditions for use of typical speech acts of interior monologue in short
stories by Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue
Based on the number of occurrences of each type of acts, we focuse only

proves that the subjects of monologue can be bound by certain factors when
they choose definite speech acts. Three factors that have the most likely
impact to the subjects choosing are: purpose and orientation of
communication, cognitive demands and personality traits of speakers. Their
impact occurs simultaneously, equally and makes speakers use this
illocutionary acts or another ones.
Characters in short story of each author also have differences from the
others’ ones in using speech acts. This differences appeare in number of their
definite illocutionary acts and the rate of this class of speech acts and the
others. Insulting is the speech acts that NMC charaters use more often than
NMC, NTTH characters. In NTTH short stories, the percentage of asking and
assertives is much mre than in the stories of the other authors These
differences represent the domination of "personal" of the subjects in interior
monologue.
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Chapter 3
SEMANTIC MEANING OF THE INTERIOR MONOLOGUE
IN NGUYEN MINH CHAU, NGUYEN HUY THIEP
AND NGUYEN THI THU HUE SHORT STORIES
3.1. Semantic meanings of utterances
To determine the semantics of interior monologue utterances, we begin
learning elementary meanings of words, thereby determine the utterance
meanings (representation meanings) and integrate this meanings into certain
reality scopes. Utterance semantic meanings of the interior monologue are all
the information about things, events and people from possible world that are
expressed, represented by utterance elements in interior monologue. However,
semantics are always appeared in relationships between contexts and the users
(utterance subjects of monologue) and only in this case semantic meanings of
the utterances can be seenn more clearly. So that, in addition to describing the
fundamental semantic groups, the dissertation also pays attention on the

in a positive mood.
3.3. The semantic meaning groups of interior monologue
3.3.1. Statistical results of semantic meaning groups of interior monologue
3.3.1.1. Basis of classification of semantic meaning groups of interior
monologue
The classification of semantic meaning groups of interior monologue
payers is based on two criteria:
- The interior monologue utterance subjects,
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- General content that the illocutionary acts mention.
3.3.1.2. Summary table of the statistical results of semantic meaning groups
On semantic meaning content, interior monologue utterances are divided
into five groups:
- Thoughts, comments, evaluation of the subjects about themselves
- Thoughts, comments, evaluation of the subjects about people around
- Awareness of subjects about things and objective events
- Opinions of the subjects about life
- Awareness of the subjects about love, happiness.
3.3.2. Description of specific semantic meaning groups of interior monologue
Specific semantic meaning groups are divided into small groups and it is
easy to learn details of each group. The comparison of the relative numbers of
interior monologue of each group shows the trend of real awareness of the
subjects, and points out some differences between short stories of the three
authors.
3.3.3. Comments
Firstly, conducting interior monologue, characters focus only on a certain
range of semantic meanings. Specifically, the characters mainly use interior
monologue to learn, review and understand people around them, about
themselves and about things, objective phenomenon. These three semantic
meaning groups account for the great number of appearance: 398/467

differences in the number of utterances between the groups. Characters of
NMC, NHT often talk about themselves and generalize all the problems of
real life into the philosophy matters of human life, but the characters of NTTH
pay more attention to those around them (especially to the relatives in their
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families), focus on issues of love, happiness. These differences difine the
impact of factors such as personality, gender of subjects to orgnization of
interior monologue.
Semantics is the most important aspects of exchanges of conversation in
general and of interior monologue in particular. The dominant factors and
semantic meaning groups of the interior monologue always have different
properties and they are different from the dialogue utterances. Along with the
features on the uses of speech acts, semantic meanings of utterances provide
background information for identifying roles of interior monologue in short
stories.
Chapter 4
ROLE OF INTERIOR MONOLOGUE IN NGUYEN MINH CHAU,
NGUYEN HUY THIEP AND NGUYEN THI THU HUE
SHORT STORIES
4.1. Roles of showing psychological status and characters’ trait in dialogue
features of interior monologue utterances
In NMC, NHT, NTTH short stories, some interior monologue utterance
groups reveal specific dialogue features, and thereby highlight the character
psychological status and their characteristics are expressed clearly and
accurately. They are:
- The interior monologue groups expressing the inner conflicts of
characters,
- The interior monologue groups expressing of the character needs of social
communication.
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language.
4.5. Role of demonstrating the innovation poetics of short stories in the
interior monologue utterances
The presence and organization of character’s interior monologue utterances
in the short stories have certain significance for story poetics:
- The interior monologue utterances contribute the connection of event
systems in short stories.
- The interior monologue utterances have the ability to change the artistic
time in short stories.
- The interior monologue utterances represent the innovation on the artistic
conception about the human beings of the authors.
- The interior monologue utterances create the multi-sound, polyphonic for
short story language.
4.6. Summary
In Chapter 4, the dissertation focuses on the purpose of pointing of the
roles of interior monologue utterances for the most basic aspects of literature
works: characters, contents, linguistic styles of the authors and poetics of
stories.
The dialogue features of interior monologue utterances is the basis to
reflect truthly and accurately psychological features and characteristics of
characters. Speech act expressions epresentation, utterance structures and their
organizational forms, dialogue features allow readers to identify the
contradictions within the characters, the tacit social communication needs of
characters.
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Argument structures of interior monologue have many distinctions and
differ from dialogue utterance in their orgnization. Due to the dominant of
communicative orientation, subjects of monologue often organizes, designs
argument structures briefly and clearly, suitable for purpose of orientation of
illocutionary forces.

are 3 tables for the use of speech acts, 14 tables for semantic meanings, 6
tables for the functional features of the interior monologue) have reflect the
similarities and differences of the interior monologue in the comparative
relationship with the dialogue, and also allow to identify the particular roles of
this form of utterance in literary works.
2. When using speech acts, the interior monologue utterances have specific
characteristics, in which they differ from the dialogue utterances. The interior
monologue does not point attention to any audience except the speaker of the
utterance so it only allows a group of common actions appeared. That is the
cognitive action group with a large number of occurrences of two classes of
speech acts: questions and assertives. Next, the other classes can be mentioned
as expressive class (typically is insult acts) and derestives (typically is
requests). In particular, due to the dominant communicative orientation (the
speaker talk to himself), the setting up relations group: greeting, visiting,
wishing, introducing absolutely doesn’t appear in 467 surveyed interior
monologue utterances.
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The choice of speech act class in interior monologue that bears on the
direct impact of the factors belongs to the speakers, including: purpose and
direction of fit, cognitive demands of the speakers and characteristics of
the speakers. Under the simultaneously impact of three factors, in the definite
communicational situations, speakers decide to choose this type of speech acts
another. The features of speacker cognition, personality, mood also cause
differences in the quantity and rate of occurrence of the speech acts in interior
monologue utterances.
3. Semantic meanings of interior monologue utterances in NMC, NHT,
NTTH short stories cover a wide broad and variety of realistic range. In it,
speaker charaters (actions, thoughts, desires ) is represented more
frequently. This phenomenon asserts the nature of peculiar inward of
utterances in interior monologue. By using utterances in interior monologue as

in the choice of speech act, the organization of argument, communication
strategies and the use of language media. Interior monologue of the male
characters are often brief, definitive, rational rich, aims to act, but the interior
monologue of the female characters are light, flexible oriented, often use
words, phrases denote ability; long, complex expression, consistent with the
needs of expressing feelings, a detailed analysis of the speaker's reality. From
the nuanced distinctions about gender, we can see the distinction between
male characters and female characters in the range of realistic options for
expression as well as in dealing with reality.
Three characteristics of the interior monologue about dialogue features, the
argument structures and gender characteristics allow us to conclude, that
interior monologue utterances are linguistic means that can reveal exactly the
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