Browsing by Author "Taylor, Corey Peter"

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Eyes and Ias : the case for pronominal diversity in fiction : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Creative Writing at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Manawatū, Aotearoa. EMBARGOED until 1st June 2026.
(Massey University, 2024) Taylor, Corey Peter
Although the contemporary pronoun debate in English can at times be heartfelt and vehement, the discursive structure of the debate itself has served to constrain pronoun discourse, reduce the potential for meaning, limit opportunities for the expression of alternative identities, and thereby to maintain a white androcentric norm. That is, despite the efforts of activists and commentators to challenge existing power structures, popular debate has continued to unfold in a self-limiting fashion that reaffirms the ideological status quo. This limitation of discussion is engendered in three ways that are covert and significant: • English personal pronouns – I/me/you – and proforms – he/him/she/her – have been defined as closed-class function words, thereby placing severe restrictions on the acceptability of new usages. • The English third person proforms are gendered, which has limited discussion to gender identity at the expense of other identities such as ethnicity, age, religious affiliation, etc. • The gender distinction in English pertains only to the third person proforms, so that little attention has been paid to the more salient first and second person pronouns. I propose that the ideologically informed limitations placed on pronominal diversity can be effectively challenged from within the field of creative fiction where poetic license is more readily granted and where innovation is more readily accepted.