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Den andra personen. Om Italo Calvino och experimentell berättarteknik

Second Person: On Italo Calvino and Experimental Narration

På svenska

Author

  • Christopher Entzenberg

Summary, in English

This paper examines the use of second person narration in the short story ”A King Listens” by Italo Calvino. The main goal is to highlight and answer the following questions: (1) How does the second person narration work in this case? (2) Why would a writer choose this particular type of narration? (3) Who is the narrator in Calvino’s short story? Narratology is utilized as a toolbox for this analysis, along with the theoretical writings of Calvino himself. The most important answers given in this paper are the following: (1) The narration in A King Listens is characterized by three main tendencies, which all point in different directions and makes possible a multiplicity of interpretations (how) (2) Although second person narration is a postmodern trend, it is nevertheless a surprising move that will puzzle and fascinate the reader for a variety of reasons that are explored in this paper (why) (3) Most likely, the narration in this case is a mystification that hides what is actually a self-addressed interior monologue (who).

Publishing year

2013

Language

Swedish

Document type

Student publication for Bachelor's degree

Topic

  • Languages and Literatures

Keywords

  • narratology
  • narrator
  • second person perspective
  • Italo Calvino

Supervisor

  • Rikard Schönström (Professor)