This research employs the concepts and definitions of “indirect speech acts” given by linguist Jo... more This research employs the concepts and definitions of “indirect speech acts” given by linguist John Searle in 1975 to two popular works of early twentieth-century American literature written by Nathanael West. I argue that West incorporates indirect speech and communication prolifically into the plots of Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust both as a reflection of the growing dissonance in modern society and in order to create dissonance in the meaning(s) of his novels. Thus far, no other critics have addressed indirect speech and communication in their research, although some have commented on the role of dark humor, parody, and slapstick as emotional catalysts in these works. This paper discusses West’s usage of indirect speech and communication on three levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal. While West wrote these novels before Searle defined the concepts of indirect speech and communication, these definitions are useful in explaining how West’s characters interact with themselves and others in their society as well as how West uses these novels to communicate with himself and his readers. Several critics have noted that West’s characters, such as Shrike, Estee, and the mob, continually share mutual ideas of meaninglessness in their verbal and nonverbal communications with the main characters, Miss Lonelyhearts and Tod, and one another. The society West represents in his novels has dissociated from any clear purpose because, at its core, its citizens are unable to directly communicate their desires even with themselves. To that end, West’s novels do not directly communicate their meaning, either.
Brontё constructs her heroine, Jane, as somewhat of a social rebel, but one who is nonetheless af... more Brontё constructs her heroine, Jane, as somewhat of a social rebel, but one who is nonetheless affected by Victorian social codes. Through her usage of dialect, Brontё reveals that Jane struggles between her own ideology of social inclusion, or equal potential between people of various classes, and the Victorian ideology that highly values formal education to the point of socially excluding those who do not conform to use Standard English or have a lot of book knowledge. Jane believes that formal education is necessary for social mobility and attainment. Brontё's technique is significant because she uses so little dialect to produce so much meaning.
This research employs the concepts and definitions of “indirect speech acts” given by linguist Jo... more This research employs the concepts and definitions of “indirect speech acts” given by linguist John Searle in 1975 to two popular works of early twentieth-century American literature written by Nathanael West. I argue that West incorporates indirect speech and communication prolifically into the plots of Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust both as a reflection of the growing dissonance in modern society and in order to create dissonance in the meaning(s) of his novels. Thus far, no other critics have addressed indirect speech and communication in their research, although some have commented on the role of dark humor, parody, and slapstick as emotional catalysts in these works. This paper discusses West’s usage of indirect speech and communication on three levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal. While West wrote these novels before Searle defined the concepts of indirect speech and communication, these definitions are useful in explaining how West’s characters interact with themselves and others in their society as well as how West uses these novels to communicate with himself and his readers. Several critics have noted that West’s characters, such as Shrike, Estee, and the mob, continually share mutual ideas of meaninglessness in their verbal and nonverbal communications with the main characters, Miss Lonelyhearts and Tod, and one another. The society West represents in his novels has dissociated from any clear purpose because, at its core, its citizens are unable to directly communicate their desires even with themselves. To that end, West’s novels do not directly communicate their meaning, either.
Brontё constructs her heroine, Jane, as somewhat of a social rebel, but one who is nonetheless af... more Brontё constructs her heroine, Jane, as somewhat of a social rebel, but one who is nonetheless affected by Victorian social codes. Through her usage of dialect, Brontё reveals that Jane struggles between her own ideology of social inclusion, or equal potential between people of various classes, and the Victorian ideology that highly values formal education to the point of socially excluding those who do not conform to use Standard English or have a lot of book knowledge. Jane believes that formal education is necessary for social mobility and attainment. Brontё's technique is significant because she uses so little dialect to produce so much meaning.
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While West wrote these novels before Searle defined the concepts of indirect speech and communication, these definitions are useful in explaining how West’s characters interact with themselves and others in their society as well as how West uses these novels to communicate with himself and his readers. Several critics have noted that West’s characters, such as Shrike, Estee, and the mob, continually share mutual ideas of meaninglessness in their verbal and nonverbal communications with the main characters, Miss Lonelyhearts and Tod, and one another. The society West represents in his novels has dissociated from any clear purpose because, at its core, its citizens are unable to directly communicate their desires even with themselves. To that end, West’s novels do not directly communicate their meaning, either.
While West wrote these novels before Searle defined the concepts of indirect speech and communication, these definitions are useful in explaining how West’s characters interact with themselves and others in their society as well as how West uses these novels to communicate with himself and his readers. Several critics have noted that West’s characters, such as Shrike, Estee, and the mob, continually share mutual ideas of meaninglessness in their verbal and nonverbal communications with the main characters, Miss Lonelyhearts and Tod, and one another. The society West represents in his novels has dissociated from any clear purpose because, at its core, its citizens are unable to directly communicate their desires even with themselves. To that end, West’s novels do not directly communicate their meaning, either.