A Metonymic Study Of Sarcasm Speech Acts

The present thesis aims to analyze sarcasm speech acts from the perspective of Panther and Thornburg’s illocutionary metonymy with the methodology being qualitative and descriptive. Meanwhile, we invite a more general type of knowledge organization structure, the illocutionary ICM, and such pragmatic parameters as (1) cost-benefit;(2) power;(3) convention of politeness;(4) degree of the addresser’s will;(5) degree of the addressee’s will;(6) degree of mitigation;(7) degree of social distance and so forth into the study of sarcasm speech acts. The major findings of the research are as follows:First and foremost, sarcasm is a social mechanism with a positive manner on surface yet negative emotion in nature to convey an implicit criticism whose aim is to disparage, ridicule and wound the feelings of the subject attacked. The main characteristics of sarcasm speech acts are expressiveness and implicit criticism.Secondly, sarcasm speech acts operate within the State-of-affairs Scenarios and their illocutionary meaning can be fruitfully analyzed in terms of scenarios composed of such four components as the BEFORE, the CORE and its EFFECT, and the AFTER, with each one standing for another or the whole scenario. Different components enjoy different status when motivating the whole scenario. The CORE has the most powerful metonymic force, the nearer the component is from the CORE, the more powerful it is, and vice versa.Thirdly, in view of the drawbacks of the current metonymic theories, the consideration of illocutionary ICM and pragmatic parameters is to be viewed to provide reference for the demonstration and interpretation of sarcasm speech acts in communication.Fourthly, on the basis of Panther and Thornburg’s illocutionary metonymy for indirect speech acts, we tentatively summarize the model of State-of-affairs Scenario for sarcasm speech acts on the analytical basis of sarcasm speech acts. To be more specific:(i) The BEFORE:There is a fact P that "H is performing A". S has a negative-phatic attitude regarding P that "H is performing A".(ii) The CORE:S expresses a sarcastic attitude regarding P that "H is performing A". The EFFECT:S is regarded as having a sarcastic attitude.(iii) The AFTER:H will (not) change the fact P regarding the fact P that "H is performing A" on condition that H understands (intentionally misunderstands or doesn’t understand) S.Sarcasm is very important yet forceful speech acts which can be found almost everywhere in our social intercourse. A systematic research about sarcasm from the perspective of illocutionary metonymy is of theoretical significance and applicatory value. On the one hand, the study extends the range of sarcasm speech acts, deepening people’s understanding to it. On the other hand, Panther and Thornburg’s illocutionary metonymy has more interpretive power in describing the component stages in a state of affair as well as the characteristics of indirect speech acts, and explaining why people arrive at the intended meaning so readily and effortlessly in that speech acts are State-of-affairs Scenarios. Therefore, the study of sarcasm speech acts helps to strengthen the interpretive power of metonymic theories. Finally, the construction of the model of State-of-affairs Scenario for sarcasm speech acts can help to provide a new pragmatic model and perspective for the study of sarcasm speech acts.In conclusion, metonymy is now in fancy in language study, and it is fruitful to make further observations and do insightful researches within the framework of metonymic theories which may bring about unexpected findings about human cognition.