AN ANALYSIS OF DISCOURSE MARKERS IN MEGAN HUNTER’S THE END WE START FROM
Megan Hunter’s novel The End We Start From depicts the flooding of London and
other parts of the United Kingdom (the UK) of apocalyptic proportions. Set amidst the flooded
UK of the near future, Megan Hunter’s novel presents a relatable story of the fate of ordinary
people caught in the deluge. The novel’s protagonist, however, is purposefully shrouded by a
veil of innuendos and undertones. Against this background, it seems pertinent to examine the
novel’s metadiscursive means in order to shine light on its protagonist and the plot dynamics.
With these considerations in mind, the present article seeks to explore how such
metadiscursive means as discourse markers (DMs) are employed in the novel. To this end, an
analysis of DMs is executed and further described in the article. The results of the analysis
demonstrate that Hunter employs the contrastive DMs “but” and “or” rather generously in
order to depict the protagonist’s confusion, bewilderment, and inconsistency associated with
the apocalyptic deluge. At the same time, the findings also show that Hunter uses the
elaborative DM “and” quite amply to portray the protagonist’s disjointed life amidst the
flood. These findings are further discussed and illustrated in the article.
other parts of the United Kingdom (the UK) of apocalyptic proportions. Set amidst the flooded
UK of the near future, Megan Hunter’s novel presents a relatable story of the fate of ordinary
people caught in the deluge. The novel’s protagonist, however, is purposefully shrouded by a
veil of innuendos and undertones. Against this background, it seems pertinent to examine the
novel’s metadiscursive means in order to shine light on its protagonist and the plot dynamics.
With these considerations in mind, the present article seeks to explore how such
metadiscursive means as discourse markers (DMs) are employed in the novel. To this end, an
analysis of DMs is executed and further described in the article. The results of the analysis
demonstrate that Hunter employs the contrastive DMs “but” and “or” rather generously in
order to depict the protagonist’s confusion, bewilderment, and inconsistency associated with
the apocalyptic deluge. At the same time, the findings also show that Hunter uses the
elaborative DM “and” quite amply to portray the protagonist’s disjointed life amidst the
flood. These findings are further discussed and illustrated in the article.
Published in Analele Universității „Ovidius” Constanța. Seria Filologie, 2026
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