What role does a character's dialogue play in a story?

A character's dialogue is crucial in a story as it serves to reveal traits and advance the plot. Through dialogue, readers gain insight into a character's personality, feelings, motivations, and relationships with other characters. For instance, the way a character speaks—such as their choice of words, tone, and mannerisms—can indicate their background, education, emotional state, or intentions.

Dialogue is also a powerful tool for moving the plot forward; it can convey important information or tension between characters and can reveal conflict or alliances that drive the narrative. By engaging in conversation, characters can react to events, make decisions, or change their perspectives, thereby creating dynamic interactions that propel the story. This dual function of revealing character traits and advancing the plot illustrates why dialogue is a fundamental component of storytelling rather than being unimportant, solely comedic, or just a reflection of the author's style.