STEPHANIE
HALLDORSON
Independent scholar
Abstract
This article investigates the use of non-verbal signs within
written prose text. The signs discussed include punctuation,
illustrations, and different font sizes. These signs are
sophisticated tools translating speech and “unspeakable”
communication into text. They are invaluable for readers who are
attuned to a world of speech that includes a complex array of
body movements, tonal variations, and breath changes as clues to
understanding meaning. The article considers the advance of
non-verbal signs through a historical context and then raises
the question as to the extent to which non-verbal signs can be
interpreted as having extra meaning for the reader.
Keywords: Punctuation, illustrations, semiotics,
linguistics, literary theory, non-verbal signs, Chomsky
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