Pragma-Discourse Analysis of Power Dynamics through Directive Illocutionary Force in Selected Literary Texts

Abstract

Directive illocutionary acts (e.g., commanding and requesting) play a key role in the communicative event in the social, cognitive and discourse component of the pragma-critical discourse analysis studies. Directive illocutionary acts and literary texts has been the focus of much investigation in the search for the relation between the study of language and literature. This research is conducted to fill the gap this current method bridge by applying pragmatic and discourse theories to be a crucial link between linguistics and literary genres (e.g., prose and poetry). This research aims to explore literary works for directed illocutionary actions that convey larger social and ideological issues via a pragmatist-discourse analyst perspective. Previous studies of speech acts and literature have not dealt with directive illocutionary force from a pragma-critical linguistic perspective. The research is based on analyzing three novels; Great expectations, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. A mixed method research paradigm has been utilized, i.e., qualitative and quantitative measures. The Framework of this research consists of Searl’s (1969) speech act theory, Fairclough’s (1995) socio-cultural framework, Wodak’s (2015) discourse historical approach, and Van Dijk’s (2000) socio-cognitive model. Findings have shown that Searl’s speech act is used much among the other models with higher percentage and frequencies of data visual representation of the selected literary texts