Misconstruing The Deictic Function Of Determiners As Their Referential Function

Martin & Rose (2007: 176):

The second point we need to make has to do with that beautiful, big, strong person. This reference is heavily evaluated, and harks back to the starry-eyed picture Helena paints of her first love at the beginning of the story (young, bubbly, vivacious, wild energy, sharply intelligent, popular). Her point is to contrast that man with what was left after his operations overseas. So another function of using full nominal groups to track participants is evaluation, as Helena shapes the point of the story for her readers.

We can see closely related functions (of framing phases and evaluating people) at work with Helena’s second love. He’s introduced as another policeman, referred to as the man when he becomes too much to handle, and as my wasted vulture the last time Helena mentions him:

I met another policeman
I can't handle the man anymore!
I end with a few lines that my wasted vulture said to me one night

The second and third of these are also evaluative, referring to her second love as the man expresses the distance in their relationship, while my wasted vulture registers her sympathy with his living hell.

 Blogger Comments:

[1] To be clear, this confuses textual reference with the use of nominal groups to realise participants (ideational denotation) and the use of attitudinal Epithets in nominal groups to enact interpersonal assessments.

[2] To be clear, the reference in another policeman is to the first policeman — which provides the frame of reference for the comparison — not the second. Martin & Rose have once again misunderstood the deictic function of the determiner (another) — in a nominal group realising a participant (ideational denotation) — as its referential function.

[3] To be clear, the reference in my wasted vulture is to the author — not her second love. Martin & Rose have once again misunderstood the deictic function of the determiner (my) — in a nominal group realising a participant (ideational denotation) — as its referential function.