The Pronoun as a Factor of Style
Personal pronouns
Stylistic functions of pronouns in poetry and in prose are different. In lyrics the use of the first and second person singular is predetermined by the fact that ‘I’ is usually the main and only character of a poem. In prose, which is the first person narration, he use of ‘I’ conveys self-assurance of the speaker.
E.g., I mean I want you to be sure and see the kiddies. I’ve got three…Yes, sir, three girls. I wouldn’t have a boy.
The use of ‘ one’ or ‘you’ in reference to a person himself conveys reserved attitude to what is important to the speaker. Substitution of ‘I’ for ‘one’ or ‘you’ creates a closer contact between the speakers and sounds more modest and respectable.
E.g., She had read that yo u should do some physical work like cleaning silver. (Binchy)
“ If one knew”, he wandered, ”the facts, would one have to feel pity even for the planets? " If one reached what they called the heart of the matter?”(Greene)
-“ You can always build another image for yourself to fall in love with”. - “No, you can’t. That’s the trouble, you lose the capacity for building. You run short of the stuff that creates beautiful illusions.”
Using the third person singular in reference to himself, the speaker as if looks at himself from aside, e.g., I do not want to write; I want to live. What does she mean by that? It’s hard to say. (Mansfield)
Stylistic abilities of ‘he, she’ are worth considering as they can be formal signs of personification when used instead of ‘it’. The opposite process, i.e. substitution by ‘it’ of animate nouns refers animate things to a group of inanimate things, which results in creating ironic, humorous or disapproving attitude. E.g.‘ Is there anything wrong with me ? it asked.
The use of the second person singular thou – thee, thy – thine, thyself has a strong stylistic connotation. In poetry and in addressing God these pronouns create an elevated atmosphere. Besides ‘thou’ can convey historical or geographical local colouring as it still exists in some dialects. The same effect may be produced by the second person plural ‘ye’. It is important for speech characteristics of personages.
The pronoun ‘we’ normally means ‘the speaker together with another person (persons)’, this is ‘we’ inclusive.’ But there are cases when ‘we’ may be used in such cases when the only referent is the speaker (‘We’ exclusive). It happens in two cases: the so called Pluralis Majestatis used in monarchs’ manifestos, orders, etc., like “We, Elisabeth the Second…’ and Pluralis Modestiae used by authors (often in scientific and publicistic styles) to unite them with those whom they address.
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In doctor’s speech when they address their patients ‘we’ is often used to replace ‘you’, e.g., How are we feeling today?
The 3rd person pronoun ‘they’ receives some emotional colouring when used independently, i.e. not substituting anything, e.g., All the people like us are we, and everyone else is they.
Demonstrative pronouns ‘ this’ and ‘that’ normally point to
Objects distinguishing them from the class of similar objects. But they may acquire emotive power and convey different feelings (irritation, anger, mockery, and even cheerfulness).
e.g. Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. “ These people! You have to keep them all the time”. (F.S.Fitzgerald)
Oh, don’t be so innocent, Ruth. This house! This room! This hideous, God-awful room!
Demonstrative pronouns are especially expressive in combinations with possessive pronouns in post- position, e.g., that ring of yours, that old house of his, this funny puppy of mine.
Possessive pronouns are normally stylistically neutral. They acquire stylistic colouring when used with nouns denoting something that do not belong to a person but is connected with him emotionally, e.g., You couldn’t even be generous though you’d given your precious Martin everything we’d got.
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