Graphological deviation, style variation and point of view in marabou stork nightmares by Irvine Welsh

Summary

This article examines the use of graphological deviation as an indicator of viewpoint in the opening of Marabou Stork Nightmares (1995) by Irvine Welsh. A detailed interpretative summary of the novel is provided to help “place” the passage analysed and make clearthe unusual narrative structure (three interweaved “levels” of narration, all produced by the same narrator). In this context, graphological deviation in the novel's opening is seen to be (i) a marker of style shifts which helps the reader “navigate” from one narrative level to another and, (ii) at the same time, constitutes a symbolic representation on the page of movements up and down from one level of narration to another. The patterns seen in detail in the opening to the novel are reflective of its main body. The paper also includes a brief, more general indicative discussion of the relationship between the stylistic markers of viewpoint and narratological concepts like focaliser and reflector.

Hierdie artikel ondersoek die gebruik van grafologiese afwykings as ‘n aanduiding van perspektief ("viewpoint") in die aanvangsgedeelte van Marabou Stork Nightmares (1995) deur Irvine Welsh, ‘n Uitgebreide interpretatiewe opsomming van die roman word gegee om die gedeelte wat ontleed word, te help “plaas” en om die ongewone narratiewe struktuur (drie ineengevlegte “vertelvlakke”, wat al drie deur dieselfde verteller geproduseer word). In hierdie konteks word grafologiese afwyking in die roman se aanvangsgedeelte beskou as (i) ‘n merker van stylverskuiwings wat die leser help om van een narratiewe vlak na ‘n ander te “navigeer” en (ii) terselfdertyd stel dit op die bladsy ‘n simboliese representasie daar van bewegings op en af van een vertelvlak na ‘n ander. Die patrone wat in detail gesien word in die aanvangsgedeelte van die roman weerspieël dit wat in die res van die roman gebeur. Die artikel sluit ook ‘n kort meer algemene bespreking in van die relasie tussen die stilistiese merkers van perspektief ("viewpoint") en narratologiese konsepte soos fokaliseerder en reflekteerder.

Keywords:

• deviation, graphological
• focalisation
• Marabou Stork Nightmares
• point of view
• reflector
• style variation
• symbolism, graphological
• viewpoint
• Irvine Welsh

Notes

* I would like to thank the members of Lancaster University's Stylistics Research Group for helpful comments on a previous draft of this paper.