Literary notes about says (AI summary)
In literature, the word "says" functions as a versatile narrative tool used to introduce direct speech, voice commentary, or authoritative pronouncements. Authors employ it to provide immediacy and clarity when a character or even an abstract source—like a proverb or a law—utters an observation. For example, in Dickens’s use, "says" marks Boots’ words relayed by Brewer, establishing the natural flow of dialogue [1], while in Shakespeare it lends a formal, almost prophetic aura to the declaration of impending action [2]. Its usage ranges from casual remarks, as when Huck Finn conveys resigned acceptance in his speech [3], to scholarly citations, as seen when ancient texts or philosophical musings are introduced with "says" [4, 5]. Thus, whether channeling everyday conversation, literary irony, or historical record, "says" helps bridge the gap between the narrator's world and the reader’s understanding by directly attributing spoken or cited words to their sources.
- Brewer says what Boots says.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - He'll go, he says, and sowl the porter of Rome gates by th' ears; he will mow all down before him, and leave his passage poll'd.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - He says: “Oh, dang it now, don’t take on so; we all has to have our troubles, and this ’n ’ll come out all right.
— from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - [301] Ruined locks : ‘A spendthrift will spend his very hair,’ says an Italian proverb.
— from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - Dugald Stewart says: [349] "The connection between attention and memory has been remarked by many authors."
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James
