PARATEXTUAL AND PARAGRAPHEMIC ELEMENTS IN M. PAVIĆ’S NOVEL SECOND BODY

Abstract

In his last major novel, Second Body, Serbian writer M. Pavić productively employs paratextual elements and original paragraphemic components as illustrative material. Referring to the concept of «paratext» as defined by the French theorist G. Genette, the article establishes that paratextuality in the analysed work is realized through the title, subtitle, dedication to his wife (writer J. Mihajlović), epigraph, and epilogue. Particular emphasis is placed on the authorial subtitle A Pious Novel, which serves as a guide for readers who are offered an intellectual interpretation of the biblical plot about the existence of Christ’s second body after the Resurrection. The specificity of the afterword, which sets out the author’s reflections on the role of the reader and the reader’s dominant role in interpreting the text, is analysed. Paragraphemic elements that perform the function of visualization are highlighted (primarily iconic components – symbols, drawings, and graphics). Special attention is given to iconic components related to religious themes. It is established that the odd-numbered chapters of the novel are marked with a white iconic component – the dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, while the even-numbered chapters begin with a black iconic component – the image of a demon. M. Pavić was familiar with the ideas of royal art and «illustrated» Masonic attributes in his prose. In A Pious Novel, he emphasizes the principle of divine proportionality, which is associated with the idea of structural harmony, as well as iconic components with the geometric shape of the cross (a symbolic image of the cross that simultaneously functions as a diagram of the golden ratio of eternity and time, and an image of a cross with an overlaid image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove). The article also discusses the iconic component – the image of the anchor cross as the guild sign of Serbian merchants in the town of Szentendre. It is argued that the anchor cross can be attributed to Masonic symbolism. The study concludes that paratextual and paragraphemic elements constitute a system of «signals» or «clues» that help the reader navigate the textual space and gain a deeper understanding of its hidden meaning.