Présupposés et microfiction chez Régis Jauffret

Abstract

The concise language and brevity that are characteristic of the contemporary « genre » of microfiction favour implicit meaning expressed in an economy of language. But implicit meaning does not merely promote brevity: it is always present in language. According to Catherine Kerbrat-Orecchioni’s definition, it performs a variety of different functions, all too often neglected in critical works about microfiction, as compared with the more obvious advantage that it offers, i.e., conciseness. This article focuses on presupposition, one of the two areas of implicit meaning, in order to illustrate how Régis Jauffret in Microfictions (Paris, Gallimard, 2007) uses it to underpin the common ground shared by reader and author and enhance dramatic effect.

Keywords

• Microfiction
• conciseness
• brevity
• implicit meaning
• presupposition