Whose line is it anyway?

Abstract

The goal of this contribution is to distinguish between the implied-author and other narrative voices in order to answer the question of how the implied-author conveys criticism. For this purpose, I introduce three pragmatic cues. I argue that these serve as a mechanism connecting text and context, allowing the implied-author to convey ironic/humoristic criticism. I found the combination of footing and narrative entities a useful methodology. I offer an analysis of Jerome K. Jerome’s novel Three Men in a Boat using these cues. This theoretical-methodological combination enabled me to distinguish between the speaker-meanings of the implied-author and the narrator in this novel; describe the three-way relations between the implied-author/implied-reader/narrator; and expose the implied-author’s critical stance towards its narrator.