Suppose within a manuscript of a novel, a father and mother are talking to their son. Suppose the father is the first to speak and now the mother has a line. How do you refer to the mother in the following examples:
Is it dependent upon the relation between the person speaking and the person listening (i.e.: example a)? Or, is it dependent upon the last person who spoke (i.e.: example b)? Or, does it depend on the narrator’s role in the story (i.e.: examples c1, c2)?
Or, (d) all of the above are fine to use interchangeably throughout the dialog of the scene?
I’d do a parallel construction set up by how the father was identified. If you start with “blah blah,” his father said, then “word!” emphasized his mom.
If it was “blah blah,” said Frank, then “word!” chimed in Margie.
Whatever makes the most sense to you, and avoids confusion. I’d lean toward “his mother” is the point of view character is the son, and “his wife” if the point of view character is the father.
But any one of your examples can work depending on context.
Who does “he” refer to? You need to establish the point of view as being either the father or the son, and stick with it. If you’ve established the point of view as the son, then you should go with “father” and “mother”. If it’s the father then you go with “son” and “wife”.
Just a suggestion: if there’s to be a lot of such dialog, you might resort to the techniques used in dramas. Have the speaker and a colon and what they have to say. Examples:
Dad: Boy, didn’t I tell you not to eat those potatoes
Mom: No, dear, that’s what I told him.
Boy: I don’t want them anyway. Take it outside.
Mr. Fligg: Son, are you enjoying those potatoes?
Mrs. Fligg: Hey had damn well better. I cooked them in pure lard.
Elwood: I don’t like them anyway. May I have a popsicle?
There’s an earthquake and demons come up out of the ground and eat everybody and then do a song and dance to “Singin’ In The Rain” wearing raincoats and mukluks.
It’s totally the writer’s call. In fact, the way you do it reflects your POV as a writer (Refer to the mother as “Joyce” and to the other characters as “her son” and "her husband? You can…) Take the approach that makes the most sense to you and make it the right decision.
Decide who your “reader identification” character is and describe the other characters in therms of how they relate to this person, that’s my recommendation.
Agreed, with the addition that IMO if any/all of the people are substantial enough characters to be named (and therefore have their own existence, apart from whomever they are “father” or “mother” to), then I think they should be called by their names.
IOW, if it’s Todd talking to his father, who doesn’t really appear independently but is only a construct/ minor character in relation to Todd, then: “‘No,’ replied his father.” But if Todd’s father is Bob and we know Bob otherwise because he appears in the book in his own right, then: “‘No,’ replied Bob.”
Just to agree with what others have said—this is the first thing I thought of. Whether you refer to the woman as “his mother” or “his wife” is going to depend on whose point of view you’re writing from, which is something you really need to know.
Not a lot. But some. If you’re asking for a cite, I can’t think of a single one off the top of my head and don’t intend to go digging to find one.
I did say it was a suggestion. It would help solve the problem.
There are some recent books I have read (again, no cite) where no effort is made to clarify who is speaking. Just sentences of dialog with no “he said” or “she said” anywhere. Despite that lack, it is clear enough who is speaking. Not every writer feels hidebound to follow traditions. That’s what I meant.
