14. (Im)politeness in fiction
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Urszula Kizelbach
Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the potential of the linguistic notion of politeness, generally understood as cooperative behaviour, as a tool of literary analysis. Politeness in fiction has so far been used mainly on the intradiegetic level of literary communication as a means of characterization and plot development. Relatively few studies (Jucker 2016) point to and appreciate the role of politeness as a mediator between the narrator and the reader on the extradiegetic level of communication. The chapter provides an overview of critical studies on politeness and impoliteness based on the examples of the works of (mostly) English literature from the Early Modern period through the long eighteenth century up to contemporary times. It demonstrates the transdisciplinary capacity of politeness, since rarely are politeness studies on fiction limited solely to discussions on politeness. Politeness in fiction is analysed in a wider pragma-stylistic context along with Speech Act Theory, Gricean pragmatics, Relevance Theory, and Critical Discourse Analysis.
Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the potential of the linguistic notion of politeness, generally understood as cooperative behaviour, as a tool of literary analysis. Politeness in fiction has so far been used mainly on the intradiegetic level of literary communication as a means of characterization and plot development. Relatively few studies (Jucker 2016) point to and appreciate the role of politeness as a mediator between the narrator and the reader on the extradiegetic level of communication. The chapter provides an overview of critical studies on politeness and impoliteness based on the examples of the works of (mostly) English literature from the Early Modern period through the long eighteenth century up to contemporary times. It demonstrates the transdisciplinary capacity of politeness, since rarely are politeness studies on fiction limited solely to discussions on politeness. Politeness in fiction is analysed in a wider pragma-stylistic context along with Speech Act Theory, Gricean pragmatics, Relevance Theory, and Critical Discourse Analysis.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to the handbook series v
- Preface ix
- Table of contents xi
- 1. Introducing Pragmatics of Fiction: Approaches, trends and developments 1
-
I. Pragmatics of fiction as communication: Foundations
- 2. Participation structure in fictional discourse: Authors, scriptwriters, audiences and characters 25
- 3. The pragmatics of the genres of fiction 55
- 4. Fictional characterisation 93
- 5. The role of dialogue in fiction 129
- 6. Narrative perspectives on voice in fiction 159
- 7. Pragmatics of style in fiction 197
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II. Features of orality and variation
- 8. Oral features in fiction 235
- 9. Doing dialects in dialogues: Regional, social and ethnic variation in fiction 265
- 10. Multilingualism in fiction 297
- 11. The pragmatics of estrangement in fantasy and science fiction 329
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III. Pragmatic themes in fiction
- 12. Pragmatics and the translation of fiction 367
- 13. Subtitling and dubbing in telecinematic text 397
- 14. (Im)politeness in fiction 425
- 15. (Im)politeness and telecinematic discourse 455
- 16. Stance in fiction 489
- 17. Language and emotion in fiction 515
- 18. Language change and fiction 553
- Bionotes 585
- Index of authors of scholarly work 591
- Index of authors of fictional work 603
- Index of fictional sources 605
- Subject index 609
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to the handbook series v
- Preface ix
- Table of contents xi
- 1. Introducing Pragmatics of Fiction: Approaches, trends and developments 1
-
I. Pragmatics of fiction as communication: Foundations
- 2. Participation structure in fictional discourse: Authors, scriptwriters, audiences and characters 25
- 3. The pragmatics of the genres of fiction 55
- 4. Fictional characterisation 93
- 5. The role of dialogue in fiction 129
- 6. Narrative perspectives on voice in fiction 159
- 7. Pragmatics of style in fiction 197
-
II. Features of orality and variation
- 8. Oral features in fiction 235
- 9. Doing dialects in dialogues: Regional, social and ethnic variation in fiction 265
- 10. Multilingualism in fiction 297
- 11. The pragmatics of estrangement in fantasy and science fiction 329
-
III. Pragmatic themes in fiction
- 12. Pragmatics and the translation of fiction 367
- 13. Subtitling and dubbing in telecinematic text 397
- 14. (Im)politeness in fiction 425
- 15. (Im)politeness and telecinematic discourse 455
- 16. Stance in fiction 489
- 17. Language and emotion in fiction 515
- 18. Language change and fiction 553
- Bionotes 585
- Index of authors of scholarly work 591
- Index of authors of fictional work 603
- Index of fictional sources 605
- Subject index 609
