Persuasion and Poetics; Rhetoric and resistance

To be a lie or not to be a lie. That is the question. Consider the novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Do you think that the tales of little people, giants, the horses that surpass the human race are true? So, is it a lie?

Literature is not a lie. We recognize that novels are fiction. We enjoy it, lose ourselves in it, and indirectly learn from it some truths about he real world in which we do live- the one which is not created as Gulliver’s islands are, entirely by words.

Language in Literature Language, in literature, is used to create alternatives to the real world. In doing so, the precise choice and ordering of words is very important to create the effect intended on readers.

Literature and Language While translating these literary works, the translator is faced with the choice of translating the words exactly or to convey the meaning. Either way, the literary work would lose some of its effects and sole after being translated. Example To be or not to be. That is the question. Try to translate the previous line.

Literature and Linguistics What does literature have to do with applied linguistics? Although, Literature doesn’t have the same kind of direct social and economic consequence as other fields like language education, or the spread of English as Lingua Franca, however, to underestimate the impact and importance of literature. It reflects and constructs our individual and social identities; it embodies or criticizes the values of the society from which it comes; it has an essential role to play in education.

Literary Stylistics In other words, Linguistic analysis can describe and analyze the language of a literary text but is not of itself an applied linguistics activity. It begins to move into that direction when linguistic choices are linked to their effect. It can be an important resource for the analysis of powerful and persuasive uses of language in general.

Stylistic Analysis Stylistic analysis tend to highlight three related aspects of literary language: The frequent deviation from the norms of more everyday language use The pattering of linguistic units to create rhythms, rhymes, and parallel constructions The way in which the form of the words chosen seems to augment or intensify the meaning

Example I wander through each charter’d street Near where the charter’d Thames does flow And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe

Why is it important to study these literary works? It is noted that some language devices are not only used in literature. It can occur in persuasive and emotive uses in society at large (i.e. commercials, political, religious discourse). As with literature, stylistic analysis can investigate the link between these language uses and their social and psychological power. Such analysis is then used to address and uncover manipulation, and to empower those who are manipulated, then it does indeed become part of an applied linguistic process.

Language and Persuasion Language can be used to tell the truth literally or figuratively (i.e. poetry, prayer). Language it can have a persuasive power. It can be perceived as inspiring and uplifting. Other uses of language are benign, seeking to control and influence our ideas in the service of some vested political or commercial interest.

Can lies be straightforward? If lies were straightforward we would reject them immediately. However, there are other more subtle ways of using language to influence and mislead. There is a necessity to study these ways and study there uses to raise awareness among the public.

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) It is the study of the relationship between linguistic choices and effects in persuasive uses of language, of how these indoctrinate or manipulate (i.e. in marketing and politics), and the counteracting of this through analysis.

Example Which of these would a milk company use in its ads for its milk: 10% fat Or 90% fat free

Another more serious example In media, the use of the terms like “terrorist”, “murder”, “regime” incorporate judgment. The problem here is that there is no separation between facts and opinion.

Another serious example The use of passivization, which is the favoring of the use of the passive structure more than the active one. “five children were killed in an air attack” The use of nominalization, which is when actions and processes are referred to as nouns rather than people. “Genetic modification is a powerful technique” Rather than “Researchers who modify genes have a great deal of power”

Problems with Critical Discourse Analysis It may attribute too much intentionality to the writer and too much passivity to the reader. Little red riding hood It a simple story that tells us Beware of strangers Woods are dangerous You can survive even if a wolf eat you Communism cannot be defeated by capitalism

Summary The study of language use in literature can be an indication of the use of language in persuasive settings. It is the applied linguist job to study these instances and decide how to raise awareness if there is an intention of manipulating people to achieve political or commercial goals