
Katarzyna Matlas
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miscelánea 70 (2024): pp. 41-65 ISSN: 1137-6368 e-ISSN: 2386-4834
and the reader, and stance, which refers to the writer’s attitude towards the
information, are incorporated into the notion of proximity (Hyland 2010).
Therefore, proximity seems to be the most comprehensive notion with which to
analyse linguistic strategies used to model the relation between the author, the
reader and the presented content in the fanfiction genre.
In the context of academic discourse, Hyland argues that authors use a variety of
linguistic resources to represent themselves and their material while fulfilling the
audience’s expectations. Authors were observed to use meticulously chosen lexis
to establish readers as “interactants” (2010: 116) with whom they discuss
arguments within the norms of the community. Similar observations have also
been made outside strictly academic contexts. Both Wang and Csomay (2024) and
Scotto di Carlo (2014), using Hyland’s concept of proximity, studied how speakers
in TED talks pass their knowledge on to non-expert listeners through linguistic
strategies of engagement and persuasion. Various facets of proximity in promotional
discourse, such as stance and credibility, have been researched by Suau-Jiménez
(2016, 2019, 2020), who suggested that travel agencies and hotels construct
proximity to encourage customers to choose their services.
Proximity may be divided into proximity of membership and proximity of
commitment (Hyland 2010). Proximity of membership refers to the author’s use
of linguistic conventions to present themselves as knowledgeable members of the
community. In fandom, this is achieved through a deep comprehension of the
source material and a proficiency in the use of vocabulary and register that mirrors
the original. Proximity of commitment reveals the author’s attitude towards the
original text, that is, which elements they appreciate, which parts of the material
are in their opinion underdeveloped, and which elements should be elaborated
upon to derive more satisfaction from the reading. These two facets of proximity
are used to emphasise the “recipient design” of the text, which refers to the various
ways in which a writer may express respect and sensitivity towards other readers
through a carefully chosen lexicon and range of topics (Sacks et al. 1974: 727).
Fanfiction writers may need to establish proximity as an invitation to the reader to
enter the discourse and analyse the validity of their contributions.
Proximity is created through aspects such as organisation, argument, credibility,
stance and engagement (Hyland 2010). Here, it is worth noting that Hyland’s
model was originally proposed as applicable to English-language academic and
popular science genres. Suau-Jiménez (2016) argues that proximity is achieved
differently according to the genre in which it is constructed and is a result of at
least three variables: language, genre and discipline. These variables render specific
patterns of genre-related rhetorical functions. In later research, Suau-Jiménez et
al. (2021) proposed a new concept called discursive interpersonality. The notion of