The Use of Person Deixis in Constructing Edward Tulanes Identity

Kate DiCamillos *The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane* is a profound exploration of love, loss, and the reclamation of identity through connection. While the narrative is driven by the physical journey of a china rabbit from Egyptian luxury to the depths of the ocean and through various social strata of American life, the linguistic construction of Edwards internal evolution is equally significant. Specifically, the use of person deixisthe words we use to point to the participants in a discourse, such as I, you, he, she, we, and theyserves as a critical marker of Edwards psychological development. Throughout the novel, DiCamillo manipulates person deixis to chart Edwards transition from an objectified possession defined by the "we" of his owners, to an isolated "it" in the abyss, and finally to a sentient, loving "I" capable of reciprocal relationship.

The Objectified "He" and Possessive "We"

In the novels opening passages, Edwards identity is entirely constructed by the narratives of others. He is introduced not as an active subject, but as a passive object of adoration. The narrative utilizes the third-person pronoun "he" extensively, but this "he" refers to a doll, a thing, a possession. The linguistic universe Edward inhabits is dominated by the possessive deixis of Abilene Tulane. When Abilene tells Edward, "I love you," she effectively names him as the recipient of her affection, but his inability to reciprocate linguistically highlights his initial lack of identity.

Furthermore, the social identity of the Tulane household rests on the exclusive "we." The grandmother, Pellegrina, creates a narrative distinction between the animate "we" (the humans) and the inanimate Edward. The use of deixis here reinforces Edwards status as an outsider in the realm of human emotion. He is referred to by name, but "Edward" functions almost as a label for a commodity rather an identifier for a person. His internal monologue, existing as it does in the third person regarding himself, is filled with vanity and arrogance. He thinks of himself in terms of distinction*I am Edward Tulane*but this "I" is a hollow shell, attached only to his appearance and clothing. Linguistically, he is an object that is pointed at, not a pointer who directs the gaze.

The Linguistic Void and Loss of Reference

The pivotal moment of Edwards fall overboard the *Queen Mary* marks a critical collapse of deictic markers. Stripped from Abilenes arms, he loses the "you" that defined his existence. In the preceding chapters, "you" was used by Abilene to establish affectionate connection: "You are handsome." In the ocean, however, the social deixis vanishes. There is no "I" and no "you" in the crushing darkness; there is only the "it" of the natural world.

During his time on the ocean floor and subsequent rescue by the fisherman, Lawrence, Edward undergoes a profound dissociation. DiCamillo employs a narrative technique where the distance between the narrator and the subject widens. Edward is described clinically, emphasizing his inanimate nature. When Lawrences wife, Nellie, dresses him as a girl and names him "Susanna," the deictic shift is jarring. The "he" that was Edward is now forced into the role of "she." This misalignment of gendered deixis mirrors Edwards internal confusion and loss of self. He is no longer "Edward," and he has not yet become anyone new. The pronouns used to address him dictate his reality, yet he rejects them internally, creating a linguistic dissonance that reflects his identity crisis.

Bull and the Power of "You"

As Edward moves through the hands of different ownersBull and his dog Lucy, the hobo and the dying child Sarah Ruththe relational deixis begins to shift from possessive to reciprocal. However, it is through the character of Bull, the garbage man, that Edward is forced into a new form of relationship. Bull talks to Edward constantly, addressing him as "friend" or "son," despite Edwards silence.

Here, the deixis is aspirational. Bull uses "we" to include Edward in a shared struggle: "Well make it through, you and me." The repetition of the second-person pronoun "you" serves as an interpellationa linguistic hailing that calls Edward into being as a subject. Even though Edward resists, the sheer persistence of being addressed as a "you" who matters begins to fracture his egoism. It is in the company of Bull and Lucy that Edward first experiences the sensation of being "with" someone else, a shift from the solitary "I" of his vanity to the possibility of a "we" found in companionship. The tragedy of losing Sarah Ruth further cements this; when she asks him to open his eyes and stay with her, the "you" becomes a desperate plea for connection that Edward is finally beginning to understand.

The Emergence of the Vulnerable "I"

The climax of Edwards identity construction occurs in the Memphis doll shop, where he sits on a shelf, broken and mute. It is here that he rejects the protective detachment he maintained for so long. The conversation with the older doll, who urges him to "Open your heart," serves as the catalyst for his final deictic shift. When he finally breaks his silence, the internal "I" transforms. No longer is it the "I" of superiority ("I am Edward Tulane"), but the "I" of vulnerability.

This transformation is solidified when Edward is finally reunited with Abilene, now a mother with a daughter of her own. The moment Edward speaks, he uses the first-person pronoun to express loss and longing. The crucial linguistic shift is found in the phrase "I love." In the beginning, Edward could not comprehend this phrase because he did not have a self capable of giving it; he was only an object receiving it. By the end of the novel, he can say "I love you," and the deixis has totalized. The "I" is a feeling subject, and the "you" is a valued equal. The "we" is no longer a collective of ownership, but a bond of shared existence.

Conclusion

In *The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane*, Kate DiCamillo utilizes person deixis not merely as a grammatical necessity, but as a structural device to map the protagonists emotional arc. Edward begins the story as a grammatical objecta "he" owned and defined by the "we" of the Tulane family. Through the stripping away of his name and his possessors, he descends into a linguistic void where he is nothing. However, through the persistent address of othersthe "you" directed at him by Bull, Sarah Ruth, and the old dollhe is hauled back into subjectivity. His journey concludes when he can reclaim the first-person "I," not as a statement of vanity, but as a declaration of love. In learning to speak "I" and "you" with sincerity, Edward Tulane constructs a true identity, transforming from a china doll into a being with a heart.