A Pragmatic Study of Defamation in Selected American Movies

Abstract

Language conveys ideas and builds relationships. However, it is sometimes misused and it causes harm to others. This occurs through defamation which is the act of intentionally making false and harmful statements about others damaging their reputation. It may have serious effects. It may expose the defamed person to social, psychological, financial and legal harms. This study focuses on how defamation is reflected in two American movies: The Crucible (1996) and Gone Girl (2014). It seeks to find out the motivations behind defamation in the selected movies; to investigate the pragmatic strategies employed to express defamatory statements against others; to discover the effects of defamation on the defamed and to identify how the defamed typically respond. The study uses Searle’s Speech Act Theory (1976) and Culpeper’s Impoliteness model (1996) to analyse the data. It is concluded that defamation is conveyed through the representative speech acts of accusing or blaming. Negative impoliteness strategy makes the defamatory statement more harmful. Individuals defame others mainly for revenge or to influence public opinion. Defamation causes serious damage, such as social or legal harm. The defamed usually responds with direct rejection or by clarifying the situation.