curiosity a écrit :
[...]
>> Elle est en pleine forme, Sylvie.
>
> Toby is talking directly to Sylvie, so what/who is the 'elle' here?
"Elle" is Sylvie. Using the 3rd person singular instead of the
2nd person is something you might do when you want to distance yourself
from the person you're talking to.
That distantiating effect might be wanted for different reasons. A
shopkeeper, or the fishmonger at the local market, might well ask you:
"Et qu'est-ce qu'elle veut, la petite dame ?" The distance here is the
distance of half-joking politeness required at the start of a
conversation between seller and customer at a local, familiar level.
In Toby's speech, the intended effect is insulting: he's speaking about
Sylvie, but also to Sylvie, as if she weren't present. He is half
talking to her, half commenting about her, and in her presence, which is
really very rude.
--
Isabelle Cecchini
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