A Pragmatic Analysis of Deixis in “The Midnight Library”

Abstract

Multiverse fiction can be difficult to follow because it frequently shifts between different lives, places, and moments in time. Readers may easily feel disoriented when a narrative moves across parallel realities. This article examines how deictic expressions help readers remain oriented in such narratives, focusing on Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library (2020). The study analyzes three types of deixis such as personal, spatial, and temporal through close linguistic analysis within the framework of Critical Stylistics proposed by Jeffries (2010). While deixis has been widely studied in everyday language and in conventional narrative texts, its role in fiction where a single protagonist experiences multiple possible lives has received limited attention. The analysis shows that deixis in The Midnight Library does more than simply refer to people, places, or time. Personal pronouns, particularly I, reflect Nora’s psychological movement from despair towards acceptance. Spatial deixis, especially repeated references to the library, functions as a stable point in an otherwise shifting narrative world. Temporal deixis, including recurring references to midnight and the use of countdowns, creates rhythm and continuity across realities. These findings suggest that deictic choices play an important role in helping readers navigate complex multiverse narratives. The study highlights how understandable linguistic strategies support narrative coherence and sustain reader engagement in contemporary fiction that involves multiple realities.