The (De)legitimising power of narrative reports: A case study of covert sayers

Anna Ewa Wieczorek

doi:10.1515/lpp-2019-0003

Article

The (De)legitimising power of narrative reports: A case study of covert sayers

Anna Ewa Wieczorek
Anna Ewa Wieczorek is obtained her PhD in linguistics from the University of Lodz. Poland. Her research interests include pragma-cognitive approach to political discourse analysis, especially proximization, inclusion and exclusion practices and storytelling techniques involving narrative reports in political speeches. Her most recent book is Clusivity: A New Approach to Association and Dissociation in Political discourse (2013, Cambridge Scholars).

Published/Copyright: January 19, 2020

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From the journal Lodz Papers in Pragmatics Volume 15 Issue 1

Abstract

One of two primary aims of this article is to advance a pragma-cognitive approach to the analysis of narrative reports used as parts of short narratives which draws on two salient theories: the Cognitive Approach proposed by Chilton (2004, 2005, 2010, 2014) and Cap's (2006, 2010, 2013, 2017) Proximisation Theory. The other equally important objective is to propose a taxonomy of covert sayers, i.e. actors whose words are reported by the current speaker (cf. Vandelanotte 2006, 2008, 2009), whose identity is concealed and may be retrieved via inferences drawn on the basis of shared values and common ground. This paper essentially concentrates on sayer's utterances rendered via reported speech frames and explains their role in maintaining the aura of belonging and inclusion, as well as of dissociation and exclusion. My research assumes that reported speech frames are selected strategically as rhetorical devices to foster (de)legitimisation and image construction. The research data comprises a corpus of texts of presidential public addresses written to be delivered rather than transcripts of spoken discourse, as its purpose is to investigate the process of speech construction.

Keywords: delegitimisation; legitimisation; narrative reports; reported speech; sayer

About the author

Anna Ewa Wieczorek

Anna Ewa Wieczorek is obtained her PhD in linguistics from the University of Lodz. Poland. Her research interests include pragma-cognitive approach to political discourse analysis, especially proximization, inclusion and exclusion practices and storytelling techniques involving narrative reports in political speeches. Her most recent book is Clusivity: A New Approach to Association and Dissociation in Political discourse (2013, Cambridge Scholars).

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Published Online: 2020-01-19

Published in Print: 2019-07-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/lpp-2019-0003

Keywords for this article

delegitimisation; legitimisation; narrative reports; reported speech; sayer