Representation of silence and suspension points in Siloé by Paul Gadenne: Silence and suspension points in the novel Siloé

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the uses and functions of the suspension point in the novels of Paul Gadenne, and more specifically in Siloé, his first novel. Evoking both a presence and an absence, the punctuation mark, in co-occurrence with the lexical forms "silence", "silencieux/se", "silencieusement" and other formulations of silence, plays a part in the representation and discursive staging of this fundamental element of Gadenne's poetics. Drawing on the main studies on punctuation, this study shows how suspension points, "capable of expressing all sorts of silences", contribute, in the dialogues and in the more narrative passages, like a sounding board, to constructing the visual, aural and temporal materiality of silence.