| This study examines the indexicality of discourse markers (DMs) in Chinese conversational narrative. Drawing upon theoretical and methodological principles related to narrative dimensions (Ochs & Capps, 2001), narrative desires (Ochs, 1997, 2004), and narrative positioning (Bamberg, 1997), this work proposes an integrated analytical framework for investigating and explicating Chinese discourse markers as indexicals of varying narrative dimensions. It bases its analysis on narrative excerpts from spontaneous conversations among friends. The study illustrates the complexity of the indexical relationship between nine markers and four narrative dimensions. It takes a performance-oriented view of narrative and probes (1) the indexicality of DMs such as ma, fanzheng and jiushishuo in relation to tellability and moral stance, as well as (2) the indexicality of DMs such as na and ranhou in relation to linearity and tellership. In so doing, it identifies storytelling (and narrative positioning) strategies performed with DMs, with particular focus on DMs that enhance tellability and formulate moral stance. It then shows that ranhou indexes temporal linearity and the role of teller while na indexes causal linearity and the role of listener. The indexicality of discourse markers is further explored in light of narrators' desires for narrative coherence and authenticity. In the end, the study maintains that the use of these seemingly trivial and redundant words not only manifests the broad and complex relationships between linguistic forms and discourse situations, but also reveals fundamental tensions that drive human communication. |
