The Performative Potential of Names in Miljenko Jergović’s Collection of Stories Inšallah Madona, inšallah

Abstract

The names play a main role in understanding of Miljenko Jergović’s literary works and it is argued through analysis of collection of stories called Inšallah Madona, inšallah. The names have  their history,  they  describe  and  determine actors, and function  as axioms with initial stabile meaning. By decoding of related code, new complex components of semantic field of the name as symbol are revealed to us. In chosen text, the names operate as curse in form of general principle. Through curse as a main motive,  it is implied performative dimension of the  names  which  symbolize  pain  or misery,  evoke  tragedy  and  in  the  end  fulfill  inscribed curse.