Question

Which statement is true of dialogue in short stories? A. Dialogue is used to summarize what characters say and to help the story move along more quickly. B. A short-story writer should look for opportunities to tell what a character is like rather than show it, by eliminating as much dialogue as possible. C. Dialogue is one way to show, rather than tell, readers what a character is like. D. Because dialogue takes up a lot of space, it should be avoided in short stories.

Answer 1

Answer: I'm pretty sure it's C. Dialogue using the character’s own words is one way a writer can show rather than tell readers what a character is like.

Explanation:

In short stories, there is an obvious need to be as concise as possible.  One way to save space is through indirect characterization—where readers are able to discern the characteristics of characters through what characters say and do without the need for the author to blatantly state so. This indirect characterization can be considered getting “two birds with one stone,” so to speak, which is why indirect characterization is prominent in so many short stories.