Midterm control

2. Pragmatic approach to the analysis of a belle-lettres text
The study of text as a means of communicative interaction in the sociocultural context puts forward the problem of text pragmatics as one of the main text parameters. Before we proceed with the discussion of this problem, it is necessary to ascertain some assumptions of linguopragmatics. Linguopragmatics is one of the trends of communicative linguistics, which in its general sense can be defined as a science studying language factors within the sphere of human activity with an accent on psychological, social and cultural aspects of language functioning. There is a variety of definitions concerning linguopragmatics. Summing up all the views, we can point out the following aspects and approaches: ● the relations between a sign and its users ● contextual conditionality, language usage, language in the context ● speech impact on the addressee, the factors influencing successful and effective communication ● interpretative aspects of speech communication (Арутюнова, 1989); ● language as a tool of a purposeful communicative activity (Грайс, 1985); ● the problem of mutual understanding and appropriateness of language use (Dijk T.A. van, 1977). It is necessary to note that all these aspects are by no means incompatible. They present linguopragmatic researches in a variety of domains which are mutually complementary. The analysis of the linguistic literature has shown that linguo– pragmatics embraces a wide range of problems, but for text linguistics the most relevant of them are: ● speech strategies and speech impact; ● pragmatic intentions and their types; ● appropriateness and effectiveness of textual communication. Text Formatting 61 Before proceeding with the analysis of these problems, it should be stressed that the pragmatic approach to the text requires the term ―discourse‖. The notion of discourse has been already discussed (see 6.3). It should be stressed here that this term is rather ambiguous, and is still under discussion. There are many views, approaches, trends. Despite the multitude of discourse definitions the idea of its situational interpretation receives strong scientific support. It means that discourse should be analyzed in a complex combination of social, psychological, cultural conditions of communication. In other words, as Karasik V. has put it, within the framework of linguopragmatics (2004). So, discourse pragmatics raises the question of situational interpretation which, in its turn, introduces the notion of a communicative-pragmatic situation. The communicative-pragmatic situation is understood as a complex of external conditions and circumstances of communication. According to E.S.Aznaurova the communicative- pragmatic situation can be presented by a chain questions: who – what – where – when – how – why – to whom (1988:38). The most relevant parameters of the communicative- pragmatic situation in the literary discourse are: ● circumstances and place of the communicative act; ● the subject and aim of communication; ● social, ethnic, individual, characteristics of the communicants; ● role and personal relations between the communicants. In the process of discourse analysis the role of intentional factors as well as those of linguistic personality should be particularly emphasized.
Here is an example: I used to call her Hippo, because she was such a hypocrite and so fat (Huxley, p.163). This way the heroine of the story by Huxley characterized her aunt whom she disliked for her hypocrisy. Taken apart from the context the word ―hippo‖ might have been understood as a clipping of the word ―hippopotamus‖ because the latter is marked in the language system. But in this context containing the two words ―hypocrite‖ and ―fat‖, this shortening is understood in two meanings: Text Formatting 66 dictionary ―hippopotamus‖ and contextual ―hypocrite‖. As a result, there appears a new perception of the word ―hippo‖ as a ―fat hypocrite‖. This the so called ―double‖ nomination, creating the effect of a ―defeated expectancy‖, attracts the reader’s attention, and at the same time increases the pragmatic effectiveness of the statement. Moreover the analyzed occasionlaism generates a number of new derivatives which form a chain of correlated words: hippo – hippoish – hippoishly – hippoism: She couldn‘t abide my mother, though she was always sweetly hippoish with her (p.164) And your mother, how did she respond? Well, not hippoishly, of course. She was just natural with the Hippo (p.164) In the context of this story all negative sides of people’s character and behavior are embodied in the word hippoism: I shouldn‘t have thought him so piggish, which shows again what hippo – ism is (p.165) Accumulation of occasionalisms within the framework of the text does not only attract the reader’s attention, but also putting them in the position of key words, charges them with the conceptual information that can be formulated as exposure of hypocrisy, narrow-mindedness, mendacity. The pragmatic intention ―to attract attention‖ is considered to be very important in the detective genre (Азнаурова, 1988). It is interesting to note that realization of this intention is observed at the level of factual information. In our opinion it can be explained by the fact that a detective text requires much attention to the minor and insignificant at first sight details of the plot. The basic signals of this intention are various kinds of descriptive details, specifications, characteristics verbalized in the text, but not directly related to the plot of the story. The analyzed type of pragmatic intention is most relevant for advertising texts since the main strategic aim of this type of the text is to attract a consumer’s attention. The following examples can serve as an illustration: Go by air. It‘s plane common sense. To be or NATO be. You can tell they‘re tops by their bottoms. Tender chicken for tough times. Sea for yourself.
For women are as roses Whose fair flower being once displayed Doth fall that very hour (W. Shakespeare) The utterance contains a traditional, trite image “women - roses”. Due to its frequent usage this image has become hackneyed. It doesn’t excite any interest on the part of the reader. The perception of this image would not have been effective if it were not for its peculiar usage. In order to attract and interest the reader, the author resorts to ―renewal‖ of this image. It is achieved by the following: a) the trite simile ―women are as roses‖ is included into the structure of an extended metaphor containing several images: – flower, display, fall; b) violation of usual associative links of this image. The simile here is used not to emphasize women’s beauty, but to stress the fact that beauty does not last long; it passes lightly and instantly like a flash. Hence, the ―image renewal‖ deautamatizes its perception and changes the character of emotional impact. Positive emotions associated with the concept of BEAUTY are transformed into quite opposite negative emotions – sorrow, regret, sadness caused by beauty’s ―momentary‖ life. Such new comprehension of the hackneyed image excites the reader’s interest and heightens the pragmatic effect.