Interpersonal Functional Analysis Of The Dialogues Of The Four Housewives In Desperate Housewives

In Systemic Functional Linguistics,language has three main metafunctions,i.e.ideational,textual and interpersonal metafunctions,in which,interpersonal function refers to the language's function of expressing the speaker's identity,status,attitude,intention and his/her inference,judgment and comment on a certain thing or person.The interpersonal meaning mainly realized through mood and modality system.Desperate Housewives is a soap opera which is very popular with all kinds of people all over the world,which mainly describes the married life of the main four housewives(refers to Bree,Lynette,Susan and Gaby in this paper)who live in small beautiful town of America.--.Fairview.Their daily life states and real feelings strike a chord powerfully with millions women all around the world.The four housewives' characteristics are various,and so are their ways of living.Their daily conversations are colorful and meaningful.This thesis analyzes the dialogues of the four housewives selected from Season one of Desperate Housewives from the aspects of mood and modality based on the theory of interpersonal function.Through calculating,comparing and analyzing the usage frequency of different subjects,mood types,modal operators and modal adjuncts,this research explores the interpersonal meaning realized in their dialogues.Therefore,their characteristics,their status in their family,their opinions and expressions on love,attitudes toward life and family and the changes of their interpersonal relationships are revealed,and the theme of this drama Desperate Housewives--seek hope in desperation is highlighted.This research finds that the choice of subjects and mood types the four housewives used reveal the characteristics,their status in their family and the personal relationships between the four housewives and their families and friends;their choices of modal operators and adjuncts in mood system expose their attitude towards life and family and the changes of their interpersonal relationships.The analysis of interpersonal meaning realized by mood and modality system reveals that the friendship among the four housewives becomes stronger and stronger;and the attitudes of them toward their families have changed gradually;and highlights thetheme of this soap opera----find hope in desperation.