A pragmatic study of racist oppressive speech in Du Bois : the quest of the silver fleece

Abstract EN

Language is a means of communication where speech can be used to show good feelings or present good image of a certain individual or group to influence others.

However, language can do the reverse.

That is to say, it can be used to harm its target based on his or her disability, religion and race (Godawa , 2002: 84).

Racist oppressive speech (ROS) is one of the ways of language use that harm its target.

It is defined by Ramsey (2013: 79) as a class of speech that denotes inferiority which subordinates, dehumanizes, demeans, or inferiorizes a person based on the person's membership in a marked minority group.

Such a speech is used for different functions according to the speaker's intention in accordance with the context of situation.

African American novelists try to picturize this situation where African Americans receive or been talked about using such speech that oppresses to reflect their lives.

As such, the speeches of Du Bois's novel, the Quest of the Silver Fleece, are analyzed in terms of Speech Act Theory, Linguistic Reinforcing Strategies, and the Pragmatic Function behind each ROS.