The Style of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads :: Talking Heads

  The Style of Alan Bennetts Talking Heads           Bennett states in his introduction that forms....dictate themselves and that sensible demands to be written in a particular way and no other. Each of the characters, according to the author has a single demo of view and none is telling the whole story. He says that his characters argon artless and dont quite know what they be saying. It is true that this is so. We, the listeners, poop make conjectures about all of them. Grahams ambiguous sexuality, Susans alcoholism and Muriels perverted hubby are not revealed directly through any statements made to us. They are hinted at by what is left unsaid or by what is sidewise inferred. In a real real sense, though, this is true to life and Bennett vigorously constructs each monologue to be as realistic as possible. In speaking to an inanimate object - the camera - each character is, so to speak, alone. The audience is not there, as far as the speaker unit is concerned. Better still, the camera is like a hidden priest in a confessional. Each person is able to speak quite frankly to the anonymous listener. If we make judgements we have no means of interaction. This is not a two - way process of confidential gossip, for none of the characters expect a reply. Bennett lets his characters reveal themselves openly and we are left to form our own opinions of them. He calls the style austere and so it is, for there is no authorial ornament of expression. What each character actually says is all we are given to solve on and we must sift the inner meanings for ourselves.   One of the authors most signal gifts is his ear for idiom. All of the characters use an idiomatic turn of phrase on the button suited to their lifestyles and backgrounds. Bennetts use of cliché is extensive, each character again using bewitch language with regard to background and upbringing. Their choice of idiom is often very funny, sometimes i ntentionally, as in the case of Susans Hazflor episode and sometimes unintentionally, as in Doriss Love God and close all gates.   It is exhausting to categorise the form of these stories. Bennett calls them monologues, which, strictly speaking, they are, but he also says that several(prenominal) of them could be plays.