This article approaches fictionality as a set of semiotic strategies prototypically associated with fictional
forms of storytelling (Hatavara & Mildorf, 2017b). Whilst these strategies are
strongly associated with fiction, they might also be used in non-fictional and ontologically ambivalent contexts to create
‘cross-fictional’ rhetorical effects. We focus on the representation of thought and consciousness. Using the concept of ‘mind
style’ (Fowler, 1977, 1996; Leech & Short, 1981; Semino, 2007), we
investigate the linguistic representation of the internal monologue of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, in a satirical
newspaper article. The stylistic analysis of the PM’s mind style facilitates an account of the elaborate and nuanced mixing of May
and the author’s ideological perspectives throughout the piece. We argue that this cross-fictional, stylistic approach better
accounts for the satirical effects of fictionality in the text than those placing a premium on authorial intention and the
invented nature of the narrative discourse.
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