A Study on the Second-Person Narrative in Jennifer Egan’s Black Box
Author(s)
Baoyu Nie*
ABSTRACT
Notable for the second-person Twitter narrative, Jennifer Egan’s 2012 short science fiction Black Box is one of the most triumphant and fully-fledged fictions written in the form of new media. This paper mainly explores the second-person narrative employed in Black Box, pointing out that the second-person narrative leads the reader to participate in the story, allowing the reader to sense the same feelings as the protagonist does. From the second person’s perspective, Egan expresses her concerns and worries about the security of the American security as well as the whole world in the post-”9·11” period and at the same time she embraces the virtues and pleasures of traditional storytelling delivered through a wholly new digital format. This paper concludes that Black Box is perhaps one of the boldest experiments of narrative form and it is a direct exploration into the contemporary image culture.
Notable for the second-person Twitter narrative, Jennifer Egan’s 2012 short science fiction Black Box is one of the most triumphant and fully-fledged fictions written in the form of new media. This paper mainly explores the second-person narrative employed in Black Box, pointing out that the second-person narrative leads the reader to participate in the story, allowing the reader to sense the same feelings as the protagonist does. From the second person’s perspective, Egan expresses her concerns and worries about the security of the American security as well as the whole world in the post-”9·11” period and at the same time she embraces the virtues and pleasures of traditional storytelling delivered through a wholly new digital format. This paper concludes that Black Box is perhaps one of the boldest experiments of narrative form and it is a direct exploration into the contemporary image culture.
Cite this paper
Nie, B. (2015) A Study on the Second-Person Narrative in Jennifer Egan’s Black Box. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 51-58. doi: 10.4236/jss.2015.310008.
Nie, B. (2015) A Study on the Second-Person Narrative in Jennifer Egan’s Black Box. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 51-58. doi: 10.4236/jss.2015.310008.
References
[1] Fludernik, M. (1994) Introduction: Second-Person Narrative and Related Issues. Style, 28, 281-311. [2] Genette, G. (1980) Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and New York. [3] Booth, W.C. (1983) The Rhetoric of Fiction. 2nd Edition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226065595.001.0001 [4] Prince, G. (1982) Narratology: The Form and Function of Narrative. Mouton, Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110838626 [5] Richardson, B., Ed. (1991) The Poetics and Politics of Second Person Narrative. Genre, 24, 309-330. [6] Fludernik, M. (1993) Second Person Fiction: Narrative You as Addressee and/or Protagonist. AAA—Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik, 18, 217-247. [7] Fludernik, M. (1994) Second-Person Narrative: A Bibliography. Style, 28, 525-548. [8] Egan, J. (2012) Black Box. The New Yorker Digital Edition. The New Yorker, New York [9] DelConte, M. (2003) Why You Can’t Speak: Second-Person Narration, Voice, and a New Model for Understanding Narrative. Style, 37, 204-219. [10] Phelan, J., Ed. (1994) Self-Help for Narratee and Narrative Audience: How “I”—and “You”?—Read “How”. Style, 28, 350-365. [11] Schofield, D. (1997) Beyond The Brain of Katherine Mansfield: The Radical Potentials and Recuperations of Second- Person Narrative. Style, 31, 96-117. [12] Lubbock, P. (1957) The Craft of Fiction. Nabu Press, Carolina.
[1] Fludernik, M. (1994) Introduction: Second-Person Narrative and Related Issues. Style, 28, 281-311. [2] Genette, G. (1980) Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and New York. [3] Booth, W.C. (1983) The Rhetoric of Fiction. 2nd Edition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226065595.001.0001 [4] Prince, G. (1982) Narratology: The Form and Function of Narrative. Mouton, Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110838626 [5] Richardson, B., Ed. (1991) The Poetics and Politics of Second Person Narrative. Genre, 24, 309-330. [6] Fludernik, M. (1993) Second Person Fiction: Narrative You as Addressee and/or Protagonist. AAA—Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik, 18, 217-247. [7] Fludernik, M. (1994) Second-Person Narrative: A Bibliography. Style, 28, 525-548. [8] Egan, J. (2012) Black Box. The New Yorker Digital Edition. The New Yorker, New York [9] DelConte, M. (2003) Why You Can’t Speak: Second-Person Narration, Voice, and a New Model for Understanding Narrative. Style, 37, 204-219. [10] Phelan, J., Ed. (1994) Self-Help for Narratee and Narrative Audience: How “I”—and “You”?—Read “How”. Style, 28, 350-365. [11] Schofield, D. (1997) Beyond The Brain of Katherine Mansfield: The Radical Potentials and Recuperations of Second- Person Narrative. Style, 31, 96-117. [12] Lubbock, P. (1957) The Craft of Fiction. Nabu Press, Carolina.