You Know What I Mean: An Exploration of the Second-Person Narrative

Abstract

The author defines the second-person narrative mode, and then uses the second person to write a collection of short stories. The definition of the second person breaks the form into the standard, hypothetical, and autotelic subcategories. This thesis explains the rhetorical effects of each subcategory as it applies to literary fiction, in contrast to nonfiction forums such as self-help books and guidebooks. The different forms of the second person are then demonstrated in a series of short, creative works written by the author. Preceding each creative piece is an explanation of how the second-person narrative mode functions within the short work of fiction.