The use of Spanish as a narrative technique in Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings Cover Image

Język hiszpański jako element narracji w powieści Marlona Jamesa Krótka historia siedmiu zabójstw
The use of Spanish as a narrative technique in Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings

Author(s): Anna Maria Tomczak, Małgorzata Janicka-Bieryło
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
Keywords: Marlon James; A Brief History of Seven Killngs; Jamaica; Cuban Spanish; polyphonic novel

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates various functions played by Marlon James’s use of Spanish in his English language novel A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014). Four overlapping areas of discourse are analysed. The findings suggest that the main functions of the use of Spanish by James’s characters are: pointing to the historical presence of CIA agents in Jamaica and Latin America (contentcreating and alluding function), reflecting on Cuban influence in Florida and several Caribbean Island (alluding function), accurate depiction of trade contacts and dealings between Colombian cartels and American gangsters (sociological function), and also an indirect form of characterisation of both Josey Wales, the novel’s Jamaican protagonist, and Cuban terrorist Doctor Love (characterbuilding and sociological function). Additionally, the presence of Spanish lexis exposes stylistic markers of an individual’s speech, adding to the novel’s polyphonic dimension.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 17
  • Page Range: 333-346
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Polish