Traversing the speech and thought presentation features of Merlinda Bobis’s “The Sadness Collector”

Abstract

This study aims to describe the effects of stylistic features in extrapolating the meaning and sociocultural realm of Merlinda Bobis’s short story, “The Sadness Collector.” The story’s theme, the breakdown of a family brought about by migration, is effectively and creatively achieved through the author’s stylistic speech and thought presentation techniques. The sociocultural actuality reflected in the story points out the miserable plight of the Philippines, having developed a “culture of migration” as a leading labor exporter, and the turmoil of Filipino families experiencing the downside of migration.

Keywords

• stylistics
• narrative
• speech and thought presentation
• free indirect discourse