A Pragmatic Study On Deliberate Misinterpretation In English Drama Dialogues

As a pragmatic strategy in conversation, deliberate misinterpretation (DMI for short) calls for special attention due to its noticeable topic-controlling power.The present research attempts to give a pragmatic analysis on DMI in English drama dialogues, by drawing upon popular pragmatic discussions, such as Relevance Principle, conversational analysis and facework theories.The author starts out by discussing appropriate conditions for the occurrence of DMI. Four possible prerequisites are analyzed: pragmatic vagueness in natural languages, common ground between interlocutors, the biologically rooted principle of relevance in linguistic communication and the particular intention to produce DMI on the part of Speaker 2 (S2 for short, the one who deliberately misinterprets Speaker 1's communicative intention).Then, the key linguistic means to produce DMI in English drama dialogues are categorized In addition, the author makes an effort to explore the conversational techniques utilized in this linguistic phenomenon. By controlling topic and turns in conversation, both S2 and his addressee succeed in realizing the whole process of DMI.The ultimate goal for S2 as well as the playwright to take all the troubles to design DMI is to achieve certain pragmatic effects. Based on "face theories" (Brown & Levinson, 1987), the author discovers that the gains and losses in face for interlocutors manifest certain pragmatic effects that DMI could achieve in interpersonal relations, such as generating humor, attempting irony, issuing warning, filing accusation, showing indifference and parrying S1's topic. Moreover, in view of the playwright-audience communication, the design of DMI gains stylistic significance in that, through signaling social roles and power relations of drama characters, it vividly discloses the playwright's attitude with great economy.Deliberate misinterpretation is a special language phenomenon in conversation. The dynamic and systematic research on DMI in English drama dialogues proves both its theoretical and practical values in the linguistic circle.