Pragmatics of speech tactics of promise in detective discourse (on the material of Dan Brown’s novel “Origin”)
DOI 10.51955/23121327_2022_1_156
Abstract. The article is devoted to the analysis of the speech tactics of promise in modern English detective discourse. The research has been carried out using examples taken from the latest novel “Origin” by the contemporary American writer Dan Brown. The study has been performed using the conceptual apparatus of pragmatics.
The plots of D. Brown’s novels are built on the principle of contrast, the latter appears to be an idiosyncratic dominant of the author, this feature is also characteristic of “Origin”. In addition, detective discourse is potentially conflict, which follows from its genre-forming features, which are distinguished by bipolarity. Conflict situations are created by the author in order to develop intrigue, which is made by a plurality of “false traces” and the presence of several “innocent suspects”.
Among the possible types of conflicts, there are latent conflicts, their participants do not go over to open confrontation. Conflicts in detective discourse, in which there is a promise, we identify as the type of latent speech conflicts.
Our analysis showed that the speech tactics of promise in the detective novel analyzed is used in a speech strategy of provoking the addressee to certain actions, a strategy of maintaining good relations, as well as in the discourse of reaction. The speech tactics of promise is effective in transforming potentially conflicting interactions into cooperative ones.
Key words: detective discourse, speech tactics of promise, insincere promise, speech strategy, cooperative strategies, non-cooperative strategies, Cooperation Principle, Politeness Principle, manipulation, conflict.
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