Scholarly Article
Eavesdropper, not (only) reader. Transgressive possibilities of doubly deictic "you"
Puljić, Gabrijela
2025-12-15 · Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne · Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan
Abstract
This article will take a closer look at the possible functions and stylizations of the use of the personal deictic "you" in the Croatian language. Since the double deixis manifests itself as a stylistic figure in its state of suspension - it is and is not a form of address - it is represented and exemplified by the so-called illocutionary overload as a (post-modern) discursive strategy that constructs the addressee and the audience. Narration or speaking in the second person singular will therefore serve as an illustration of (double) switches, a characteristic strategy for Tomičić's drama for three voices, Don't forget to cover your feet. It attempts to provide answers to questions such as: Does the reader have to be apostrophized to feel invited to participate in the discourse, does the present tense have to be a logical choice to achieve double deixis, what are signs of transition between the fictional and the real world in the Croatian language?
Keywords
double deixis, personal pronoun "you", cognitive stylistics, drama, Don't forget to cover your feet
Citation Details
Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne