Your Illness. Second Person Narrative in Non-Fictional Stories of Health Crises

Abstract

In the article I examine the phenomenon of non-fictional second person narratives frequently used to describe the experience of illness. Three case studies are analyzed: the ICU diaries, written by nurses for patients with impaired consciousness, a flash non-fiction story "Handwashing Dishes" by Melissa Olson-Petrie, and Marya’s Hornbacher’s autobiography "Wasted" about the author’s struggle with eating disorders. Behind each of the narratives stands a different motivation to adopt the second person. I focus on various meanings and functions of the “you”, trying to figure out how the “unnatural” form suits the “unnatural” situation of a health crisis.

Keywords

• non-fiction
• second person narrative
• illness
• diary