A Pragmatic Analysis Of Gender Differences In Conversations In The Little Foxes

Gender language is an important part of sociolinguistics study, which has attracted muchattention both at home and abroad. Pragmatics is one branch of linguistics, which mainly studiesthe meaning of language in use, that is to say, how the meaning of language is produced,understood and how to choose the correct language forms and strategies in communication.Recently, with the dynamic development of the research range, objects and methods in those twosubjects, especially the combination of the pragmatics and sociolinguistics, the pragmaticanalysis of gender language has attracted much attention. However, it is a new attemptemploying pragmatic theories to analyze gender differences reflected in conversations in adrama.In this thesis, the author will employ Grice’s Cooperative Principle (CP), Leech’s PolitenessPrinciple (PP) and Brown & Levinson’s Face-saving Theory (FST) to analyze gender differencesin conversations in Lillian Hallman’s The Little Foxes. Seventeen pieces of cross-genderconversational fragments have been chosen from the drama. Based on the research results of theCP, PP and FST, the author will use the qualitative researching method to discuss differencesbetween males and females in observing or violating and employing the above principles andtheory in conversations. Moreover, the author tries to analyze reasons that cause thesedifferences.After the research, it is found that males and females in The Little Foxes do differ inobserving and violating the CP, PP and employing FST. In details, females observe theCooperative Principle in conversations by providing enough and relative information, whichhelps to make conversations go smoothly. Although females sometimes violate manner andquality maxim of the Cooperative Principle out of some reasons, they tend to use some politeways, such as using hedges, tag questions or some special sentences and words, etc., to expresswhat they want to say. However, males often violate the Cooperative Principle in conversationsby speaking too long, too short or providing nonrelatives, and wrong information, which maycause the conversation not to process smoothly or even suspend. As for the Politeness Principle,females tend to observe it, but sometimes they violate the Tact and Generosity maxim, Agreement and Sympathy maxim. Under this condition, females will take some polite measuresto express what they want to say, just like when they violate the manner and quality maxim ofthe Cooperative Principle. While males tend to violate the Politeness Principle by causing“lost”to others, showing disagreement, disapprobation and no sympathy or using imperatives anddirectives. And for the Face-saving theory, females usually consider others’face and try theirbest not to threaten others’face. When they have no choice but to threaten others’face, they willemploy face-saving strategies (redressive strategies), such as positive politeness, negativepoliteness or face threatening acts off record to minimize or make up for face threatening whichthey have caused to others. However, males often threaten others’face bald on record withoutgiving some redressive strategies.In this thesis, the author has analyzed reasons that caused gender differences in languageuse from different social status, roles and different psychological features between males andfemales. Besides, the author has combined the living background of the playwright and theconcrete times background of The Little Foxes to discuss particular reasons which result indifferences in conversations between males and females in the play.Through the above analysis, pragmatics theories are applied into the study of a drama work.On the one hand, the research perspectives of The Little Foxes are broadened and a number ofdramatic factors that the other literary analysis can’t set foot in are revealed, which helps peoplestrengthen the understanding of the playwright’s art techniques. On the other hand, the researchhelps people to have a better understanding of the different strategies employed by males andfemales in conversations and of ourselves and our genders, which thus will contribute to thepromotion of the cross-gender conversation and the harmonious dialogue between these twosexes.