Audience demand in father-son argumentation across generations

Abstract EN

Language has a valuable role in shaping the type ofrelationships between arguers.

The use of language is like doubleedged sword in the hand of fathers to shape their type of relationshipwith their sons.

Father-son argumentation could be the real source ofincreasing a social distance and building barriers between them.

Thecurrent paper aims at answering the questions whether the socialdistance between fathers and sons have changed between the past andpresent? And have old fathers been changed to share their sons'common ground and wants? The great difference between the old and present fathers isexamined in the two novels characterized by a father-son relationshiptheme namely; “East of Eden” 1952 by John Stainbeck and “TheRoad” 2006 by Corman McCarthy.

The researcher aims at sheddinglight on the type of relationship between old and present fathers withtheir sons reflected on their argumentation, how they care about eachother face and how much they achieve the audience demand in theirargumentation by applying Penelope Brown and Stephen C.

Levinson(1978) theory of politeness.

It is found that present fathers have more positive choices intheir argumentative politeness strategies whereas old fathers go baldon record by their use of continuous orders, criticism and sometimesinsult.

Finally, it is concluded that the more audience demand isfulfilled, the less father-son social distance will take place.