Facework in the fictional dialogue of golding’s “lord of the flies” in terms of brown and levinson’s politeness theory : a pragma-stylistics study

Abstract EN

This study examines the notions of face, facework and politeness according to Brown & Levinson’s (1978, 1987) Politeness theory'.

The researcher explores politeness as presented in the fictional dialogue of Golding’s novel “Lord of the Flies”.

The steps of the scholar Susanne E.

Hoebe (2001) in determining the variables of Brown & Levinson’s formula are followed to identify, classify and analyse the politeness strategies for doing face threatening acts (FTAs) in the fictional dialogue amongst the three main characters in the novel.

This study examines every single utterance produced by the three influential characters during their dialogues to discover if Brown & Levinson’s Politeness theory is applicable to the fictional dialogue in literary works and to come out with new interpretations to the novel through the exploration of the features of the characters predicted via their utterances.

The data is analysed qualitatively and quantitatively.

The analysis would be character-based.

So, if we take one character, let us say ‘Ralph', all his utterances in his dialogues with Piggy are analysed separately from those with Jack.

This is for us to be able to know the politeness strategies used by each of them, to grasp the nature of the relationship between each character and the other and to determine the main variables of Brown & Levinson’s formula in their politeness theory which are; Weightiness of face-threatening acts (Wx) (Politeness), Power (P), Distance (D) and the Ranking of imposition (Rx).

(S) refers to speaker and (H) refers to hearer.

Wx = D (S, H) + P (H, S) + Rx In this excerpt one chapter is chosen to be analysed in terms of Brown & Levinson's politeness theory, which is Chapter Four: Painted Faces and Long Hair.