A Pragmatic Study of Dysphemism in Edward Abbey’s Novel The Monkey Wrench Gang
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1506.03Keywords:
pragmatics, cooperative principle, implicature, impoliteness and its strategies, dysphemismAbstract
This study investigates the use of dysphemisms in Edward Abbey’s novel The Monkey Wrench Gang by focusing on two pragmatic devices: a) Culpeper’s impoliteness strategies and b) Grice’s implicature. Dysphemistic expressions often have a negative impact on receivers due to the negative connotations they carry. Therefore, it is significant to note that the pragmatic analysis of dysphemisms in this novel highlights how impoliteness strategies and implicature function to both disrupt and communicate within the context of radical environmental activism, as well as how these expressions are employed throughout the narrative i.e. how dysphemisms are challenged the conventional and social norms as well as how they are used as a means of conveying ideas, emotions, and group identity. The purpose of this study is to tackle dysphemisms pragmatically by showing their types, functions, and sources as well as the impoliteness strategies and implicatures they carry in the selected data. The data can be characterized by the use of derogatory or offensive language, which serves as a crucial tool for conveying the novel’s themes of rebellion, environmental activism, and cultural critique. Based on sequential sampling and a mixed-method approach, three extracts (paragraphs) from the first three chapters of the novel are selected to be representatives of the study's objectives. The analyses reveal 17 types of dysphemistic expressions with different functions and sources, along with the impoliteness strategies and implicature they employ. From a pragmatic point of view, these dysphemisms represent a deeper criticism of human nature and the futility of romanticizing or idealizing any group. Moreover, they criticize social norms, environmental degradation, and cultural stereotypes. Thus, the author and characters invite readers to engage critically with the underlying social and environmental issues.
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