Topic 8 - Discourse structure and point of view > Linguistic indicators of point of view > Task D

Linguistic indicators of point of view

Task D - Deixis (cont.)

In the example below, Mr Verloc, an anarchist secret agent, has had a bad day. His wife doesn't know he is a secret agent and she has pushed him into taking her brother, Stevie, who is mentally subnormal, with him when he went into London.Unfortunately, unbeknown to Mrs Verloc, Mr Verloc was due to plant a bomb at the Greenwich Observatory, to 'blow up time'.

In spite of Mr Verloc's protestations, Stevie then insisted (because his sister had told him he must be helpful to Mr Verloc) on carrying the package with the bomb in it. And he tripped over a tree root as he crossed the park towards the observartory, and so blew up himself, and not time. Mr Verloc has now told his wife everything, and is lying on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling and waiting for Mrs Verloc to bring him his supper. Mr Verloc does not know (but the reader does!) that his wife is about to stab him with the carving knife.

How does the predicator 'was coming' contribute to the meaning and effect here? Compare your thoughts with ours.

Mr Verloc heard the creaky plank in the floor and was content. He waited. Mrs Verloc was coming.

(Joseph Conrad , The Secret Agent)

 

Our answer

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