Syntax in experimental literature: a literary linguistic investigation (original) (raw)
This dissertation uses the methods of literary linguistics to investigate syntax in experimental literary texts. It focuses on two prose texts by Samuel Beckett, How It Is and Worstward Ho, analysing the different kinds of linguistic deviations that occur and considering how they may be related to the experimental style of the texts. The first chapter introduces some of the main issues of literary linguistics and argues for a formalist approach to the study of syntax in experimental texts. The second chapter discusses a number of theoretical issues surrounding the study of experimental texts, describing the style of How It Is in detail and how this style impacts on the reading process. The third chapter describes the kinds of unusual utterances that occur in How It Is, analysing both discourse features like parentheticals and grammatical features like ellipsis and how they are used and abused in the text. The fourth chapter discusses Worstward Ho in a similar matter, and the analysis shows up continuities with the kinds of deviation in How It Is. The fifth chapter discusses many issues that arise from the analysis, describing how ungrammatical utterances are interpreted in terms of grammatical and pragmatic theory, and many other issues relevant to linguistic theory, literary linguistic theory and literary theory arise in the course of this discussion.
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