Malgorzata (Gosia) Drewniok
I have a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University. My PhD thesis was interdisciplinary and so are my research interests, mainly stylistic analysis, literary analysis, film/TV studies and the study of popular culture. My doctoral research focused on the language of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with special reference to the characterisation of main villains: vampires. I was interested in the moment of transformation (human to vampire) and how it is expressed in the language.
The idea of the topic stemmed from my personal interests. Having interdisciplinary BA and MA degrees (BA English Studies and MA in English Language and Contemporary Literary Studies) I've always wanted not only to combine my linguistic and literary interests, but also to include popular culture studies in my research. Stylistics was my starting point - previously my BA dissertation was on the proper names of fictional characters in Chronicles of Narnia and the MA one on episode titles in Charmed TV series.
My post-PhD research is still in the area of the language of film and television, but not limited to. My chapter on Black Widow (Avengers 2012) was published in early 2017. I'm also researching the use of language in the Marvel Tele-cinematic Universe.
I have also been working on a new project on the language of luxury branding.
My research interests are: stylistics, pragmatics, conversation analysis, popular fiction, contemporary gothic, gender and language, television studies, language of social media, and language of luxury.
Teaching:
I'm a qualified and experienced EFL/ESL/EAP teacher. After finishing my MA I taught English in Spain (academic year 2007/2008). In summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010 I taught in pre-sessional EAP course at University of Portsmouth. In 2009-2013 I worked at Lancaster University International Study Centre as an EAP tutor, teaching international students in their foundation year. I also taught EAP to research students at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Lancaster (2009-2011).
In 2010-2012 I taught year 1 Language and Style and year 2/3 Language of Advertising in the Linguistics and English Language Dept at Lancaster University. In 2014 I also taught two undergraduate modules at Middlesex University (year 1 Studying English Language and year 2 Language and Psychology).
In 2013-2017 I was a Teaching Fellow in Academic Study Skills at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, and the Research Skills Module Leader for MA Fashion Marketing and Branding. I was also a member of Ethics Committee at University of Southampton.
In 2017-2018 I was a Teaching Fellow in Foundation Studies at University of Warwick, teaching EAP and leading an EAP for Business module at Warwick International Foundation Programme. I joined University of Lincoln in January 2019 as a Programme Manager at the English Language Centre, and in July 2019 I was appointed the Head of Centre.
Supervisors: Elena Semino and Catherine Spooner
The idea of the topic stemmed from my personal interests. Having interdisciplinary BA and MA degrees (BA English Studies and MA in English Language and Contemporary Literary Studies) I've always wanted not only to combine my linguistic and literary interests, but also to include popular culture studies in my research. Stylistics was my starting point - previously my BA dissertation was on the proper names of fictional characters in Chronicles of Narnia and the MA one on episode titles in Charmed TV series.
My post-PhD research is still in the area of the language of film and television, but not limited to. My chapter on Black Widow (Avengers 2012) was published in early 2017. I'm also researching the use of language in the Marvel Tele-cinematic Universe.
I have also been working on a new project on the language of luxury branding.
My research interests are: stylistics, pragmatics, conversation analysis, popular fiction, contemporary gothic, gender and language, television studies, language of social media, and language of luxury.
Teaching:
I'm a qualified and experienced EFL/ESL/EAP teacher. After finishing my MA I taught English in Spain (academic year 2007/2008). In summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010 I taught in pre-sessional EAP course at University of Portsmouth. In 2009-2013 I worked at Lancaster University International Study Centre as an EAP tutor, teaching international students in their foundation year. I also taught EAP to research students at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Lancaster (2009-2011).
In 2010-2012 I taught year 1 Language and Style and year 2/3 Language of Advertising in the Linguistics and English Language Dept at Lancaster University. In 2014 I also taught two undergraduate modules at Middlesex University (year 1 Studying English Language and year 2 Language and Psychology).
In 2013-2017 I was a Teaching Fellow in Academic Study Skills at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, and the Research Skills Module Leader for MA Fashion Marketing and Branding. I was also a member of Ethics Committee at University of Southampton.
In 2017-2018 I was a Teaching Fellow in Foundation Studies at University of Warwick, teaching EAP and leading an EAP for Business module at Warwick International Foundation Programme. I joined University of Lincoln in January 2019 as a Programme Manager at the English Language Centre, and in July 2019 I was appointed the Head of Centre.
Supervisors: Elena Semino and Catherine Spooner
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Books by Malgorzata (Gosia) Drewniok
It is quite likely that when working on films Joss Whedon has much less creative liberty than on his TV shows. He is, however, credited as a co-author of the story and the author of the screenplay for Avengers (2012) hence we might safely assume that he had a major influence on the dialogues in the film even if (perhaps) not all the words were exactly how he might have wanted.
In this proposed chapter I would like to look at the character of Black Widow in this film. It is not her first appearance in the Marvelverse movie, but only in Avengers (until Avengers: Age of Ultron is released) has she been shaped by Joss Whedon. I am particularly interested in Natasha’s language behaviour in three pivotal scenes: her first appearance when captured by Russian rebels; her meeting with Dr Banner; and her conversation with Loki. I want to examine how her ‘very specific skills set’ is treated by Whedon and expressed in the language Natasha is made to use. As this is a relatively short chapter, and because I am interested in Whedon’s language creativity in particular, I will not look then at Black Widow’s other appearances (comics and films). Instead I would like to present a systematic, but comprehensive linguistic analysis of the three chosen scenes.
Conversation analysis is part of linguistic studies, and it focuses on the conversation behaviour of characters in a given exchange. The elements examined are: who is the powerful participant and who is powerless; who initiates the conversation; who controls the topic; and who says more. In addition, language choice is also important to be considered – lexis (vocabulary) as well as grammar (structure, tenses). Apart from conversation behaviour I would also like to look at the pragmatic side of these three conversations, i.e. power relations and strategies to keep or change these. A pragmatic analysis concentrates on politeness and impoliteness strategies employed by the participants.
Through examining Natasha’s conversational behaviour and politeness/impoliteness strategies I will hopefully show how Joss Whedon succeeded in expressing Black Widow’s special skills. A viewer unfamiliar with the character’s background might suspect at the begging of the film that Natasha’s power is that of seduction; her linguistic behaviour, however, shows it is in fact her ability to manipulate the opponent through language.
From language perspective the composition of the series is interesting. Each book is narrated by a different sister and thus gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. For the purpose of this chapter I will focus on the first nine books of the series. I would like to explore what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities, their sexuality and outcast status are reflected in the language.
The long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires and there are more prominent ones; there are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel; more contemporary ones, as well as ‘good’ vampires, who have a soul and do not kill. It is clear then that to construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
Transformations are a significant part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; humans are turned into vampires; humans fighting vampires die and rise again; vampires are reformed; vampires become insane; humans are magically transformed into someone or something else. In my paper I explore three different types of transformations in Buffy: being revived from the dead, being turned into a vampire and having one’s soul restored as a vampire. After examining each of these transformations, I will argue characters not only look and act different, but speak different as well. I will show how the fact of being transformed is expressed through a character’s speech, for example through losing their native accent (Angel) or speaking more confidently (Jesse, Buffy and Spike). This will enable me to comment on the construction of vampires, boundaries between humans and vampires in Buffy, and the moments when these are transgressed or renegotiated. I will also comment on when and how transformations are shown (for example when Angel switches from a vampire with a soul to evil, soulless Angelus, when Spike has his soul restored, and when Buffy dies briefly), suggesting that these moments are crucial in establishing moral complexity through language.
‘Within the terrain of horror, the state of being human is fundamentally uncertain. It is far from clear, far from being strongly and enduringly defined. People in the genre are forever shading over into nonhuman categories.’
Stephen Prince (2004), The Horror Film
In this paper I take this quotation a step further in the context of Buffy: in this genre being human is uncertain and unclear, but this also applies to being dead and being a vampire here; not only people, but also vampires constantly transgress categories.
Being turned into a vampire means dying and then coming back to life in a changed form. What if one got only half of the experience? What if a person died and was brought back to life, not turned into a vampire, but still changed, a being escaping any labels? Buffy herself dies twice: first at the end of Season One (drowned by the Master), and later at the end of Season Five (sacrifices herself to save the world). Both deaths affect the Slayer and the language she uses. I will examine to what extent this linguistic change takes place.
Although the series features many vampires, it is hardly fully shown what happens to a person when they are turned into one. Thus is it important to show the change of character’s identity (human/vampire) to the audience – it is done through acting, props, sometimes clothes and through language. In this section I will look at Jesse, the first character to be shown transformed from human to vampire; Buffy, William/Spike and William’s mother.
The third part of my paper will focus on the notion of a vampire with a soul. The vampires in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not human, but soulless, demonic creatures. There are two exceptions to this rule in the show – Angel and Spike. Angel becomes a vampire in the 18th century and at some point is cursed by the Gypsies: his soul is returned and with it – his conscience. Human William is turned into a vampire in 1880 and eventually becomes cruel Spike the vampire. In the last season of the series Spike gets his soul back out of love for Buffy. I will compare both vampires in their two personas – with and without the soul – and examine the changes in their language.
The long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires and there are more prominent ones; there are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel; more contemporary ones, as well as reluctant vampires. To construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
In this paper I will explore the relationship between masculinity and the language the vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer use (‘macho vampires vs. the Slayer’). The show aimed to abolish the stereotype vampire and to propose a new incarnation of this creature, but to do that, it had to depict such a vampire first. The vampires at the beginning of the series embrace the ‘macho’ monster and it is achieved also through the way they speak. Jowett discussed gender in Buffy in Sex and the Slayer (2005) and Stuller looked at Buffy as a superheroine in Ink-Stained Amazons (2010). I’d like to look at how vampire ‘macho’ attitude is reflected in language.
Papers by Malgorzata (Gosia) Drewniok
Talks by Malgorzata (Gosia) Drewniok
Thanks to different first-person narrators each book gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. I explored what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities are reflected in these choices.
Conference Presentations by Malgorzata (Gosia) Drewniok
MCU superhero films focus on action, and not dialogue. And yet, I want to argue that language is used here skillfully for characterization of specific heroes. In my previous research I have looked at Joss Whedon’s contribution to MCU (Avengers 2012; Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-present) and his use of language (he is particularly recognized for his language creativity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)). Now I want to expand my focus to other Marvel films.
In this presentation I would like to concentrate on two characters that appeared both in individual and ‘team’ movies, namely Tony Stark (Iron Man), and Steve Rogers (Captain America). I will examine their characterization by applying stylistic and pragmatic analysis to the language they use. I will look at their lexical and grammatical choices, their conversational behaviour and tone, as well as any (im)politeness strategies they employ. I will use examples from: Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Captain America: Civil War (2016).
This paper stems from my doctoral research into vampire transformations in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and how these are signalled in language. This has evolved into wider interest in character transformations in popular culture and their use of language.
I’m particularly interested in how language is used to present, deal with or conceal superhero identity in both television and cinema. Thanks to the long-term narrative overarching Marvel franchises, MCU superheroes constantly change. In this paper I will look at two characters at the opposite ends of the MCU spectrum: Steve Rogers/Captain America, and Agent Phil Coulson, and their development. I’d like to explore how their journey as (super)heroes – their gradual transformation – is signalled in the language they use. I will apply linguistic analysis to comment on Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson’s portrayal, and look at their choice of vocabulary and structures, conversation behaviour, as well as their use of politeness and impoliteness strategies.
What is interesting about Buffy the Vampire Slayer is that the long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires, whom Buffy stakes without a blink, and there are more prominent ones, who stick around longer and influence significantly the plot. There are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel, such as the Master in Season One or Dracula in Season Five; more contemporary vampires, like Darla (Season One) or Spike and Drusilla (from Season Two onwards); as well as ‘good’ vampires, who have a soul and do not kill, like Angel (from Season One) and Spike (final season). It is clear then that to construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
Humour and irony are significant parts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although the show ended seven years ago, its fans still use the quotes from the series not only when discussing Buffy, but also in everyday use. This has been explored by Mark Peters (2006) and Marianne Cantwell (2004). There are numerous websites devoted to the most popular quotes from Buffy (e.g. www.buffyquotes.co.uk) as well as printed collections such as The Quotable Slayer compiled by Micol Ostow and Steven Brezenoff (2005). However, when humour and clever lines in the series are mentioned, it is usually words uttered by Buffy herself or the Scoobies (her friends and helpers). In this paper I will examine the humour used by the vampires and how it contributes to the construction of these characters. I will also propose several reasons for the use of humour among the vampires in question, such as distancing oneself from others, endearing oneself to others or breaking the tension of a moment.
From language perspective the composition of the series is interesting. Each book is narrated by a different sister and thus gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. For the purpose of this paper I will focus on the first three books of the series. Witchling (2006) is told by the oldest sister, Camille, and the book is full of magic. Delilah, the middle sister, narrates Changeling (2007) which deals with shapeshifting. Darkling (2008) tells the story of Menolly, the youngest, who – unlike her sisters who were born with their magical abilities – was brutally turned into a vampire, and hence her book is much darker. I would like to explore what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities, their sexuality and outcast status are reflected in the language.
When creating Buffy, Whedon, personally a fan of B films and a self-proclaimed feminist, wanted to invert the horror formula where a blond girl goes into a dark alley and gets killed at the beginning of the film. I would like to, however, examine his treatment of vampires in his work and if/how it is influenced/limited by the media he uses. I will look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer film (1992), TV series (1997-2003), Fray (2001-2003), Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic books (2007-present) as well as his latest show, Dollhouse (2009-2010), and explore how Whedon has developed (or deconstructed) the idea of the vampire in those.
In the 1992 film Whedon focused on the Slayer not giving vampires much screen space. In the following series (1997-2003), due to its long-running character (seven seasons) he was able to develop those characters more and propose different types of vampire not only to tackle and dismiss the stereotype vampire (the Master, Dracula), but to discuss the problem of a reluctant/sympathetic vampire (Angel, Spike) as well. I will also consider future vampires (Fray), vampire TV celebrities (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8) and undead-like dolls (Dollhouse).
It is striking then that in the opening of Season Five Whedon drew on Bram Stoker’s work and Dracula made an appearance. Whedon’s Dracula is, however, more a reworking of the count’s image in the popular culture, rather than a faithful homage to Bram Stoker. In Buffyverse Dracula is alive and well. He appears just once in the series, only to return in the comic book continuation of the show (Buffy Season 8). The purpose of his introduction is manifold: he is a comic relief, a foil for Buffy, but also a reminder of her complex and dark Slayer heritage. Although his presence is short, he seems to have a special status in the show: Buffy never succeeds in defeating him, and later (in the comic) even calls for his help. In this paper I would like to explore Dracula’s presence and significance in Buffy, what reincarnation of Dracula Whedon proposes and how it is expressed in language.
When the Halliwell sisters learn they are witches, they inherit The Book of Shadows, a collection of spells, potion recipes and descriptions of demons passed in their family from generation to generation. With both their mother and grandmother dead, the book is the only source of the sisters’ knowledge as well as the source of their power. Later the sisters learn that their ancestors added to the book when the necessity arose and that they themselves can write their own spells. The Halliwells gradually learn to write spells to defeat demons and warlocks. In my paper I will focus on the process of writing spells and the status of The Book of Shadows as the source of magical power.
It is quite likely that when working on films Joss Whedon has much less creative liberty than on his TV shows. He is, however, credited as a co-author of the story and the author of the screenplay for Avengers (2012) hence we might safely assume that he had a major influence on the dialogues in the film even if (perhaps) not all the words were exactly how he might have wanted.
In this proposed chapter I would like to look at the character of Black Widow in this film. It is not her first appearance in the Marvelverse movie, but only in Avengers (until Avengers: Age of Ultron is released) has she been shaped by Joss Whedon. I am particularly interested in Natasha’s language behaviour in three pivotal scenes: her first appearance when captured by Russian rebels; her meeting with Dr Banner; and her conversation with Loki. I want to examine how her ‘very specific skills set’ is treated by Whedon and expressed in the language Natasha is made to use. As this is a relatively short chapter, and because I am interested in Whedon’s language creativity in particular, I will not look then at Black Widow’s other appearances (comics and films). Instead I would like to present a systematic, but comprehensive linguistic analysis of the three chosen scenes.
Conversation analysis is part of linguistic studies, and it focuses on the conversation behaviour of characters in a given exchange. The elements examined are: who is the powerful participant and who is powerless; who initiates the conversation; who controls the topic; and who says more. In addition, language choice is also important to be considered – lexis (vocabulary) as well as grammar (structure, tenses). Apart from conversation behaviour I would also like to look at the pragmatic side of these three conversations, i.e. power relations and strategies to keep or change these. A pragmatic analysis concentrates on politeness and impoliteness strategies employed by the participants.
Through examining Natasha’s conversational behaviour and politeness/impoliteness strategies I will hopefully show how Joss Whedon succeeded in expressing Black Widow’s special skills. A viewer unfamiliar with the character’s background might suspect at the begging of the film that Natasha’s power is that of seduction; her linguistic behaviour, however, shows it is in fact her ability to manipulate the opponent through language.
From language perspective the composition of the series is interesting. Each book is narrated by a different sister and thus gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. For the purpose of this chapter I will focus on the first nine books of the series. I would like to explore what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities, their sexuality and outcast status are reflected in the language.
The long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires and there are more prominent ones; there are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel; more contemporary ones, as well as ‘good’ vampires, who have a soul and do not kill. It is clear then that to construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
Transformations are a significant part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; humans are turned into vampires; humans fighting vampires die and rise again; vampires are reformed; vampires become insane; humans are magically transformed into someone or something else. In my paper I explore three different types of transformations in Buffy: being revived from the dead, being turned into a vampire and having one’s soul restored as a vampire. After examining each of these transformations, I will argue characters not only look and act different, but speak different as well. I will show how the fact of being transformed is expressed through a character’s speech, for example through losing their native accent (Angel) or speaking more confidently (Jesse, Buffy and Spike). This will enable me to comment on the construction of vampires, boundaries between humans and vampires in Buffy, and the moments when these are transgressed or renegotiated. I will also comment on when and how transformations are shown (for example when Angel switches from a vampire with a soul to evil, soulless Angelus, when Spike has his soul restored, and when Buffy dies briefly), suggesting that these moments are crucial in establishing moral complexity through language.
‘Within the terrain of horror, the state of being human is fundamentally uncertain. It is far from clear, far from being strongly and enduringly defined. People in the genre are forever shading over into nonhuman categories.’
Stephen Prince (2004), The Horror Film
In this paper I take this quotation a step further in the context of Buffy: in this genre being human is uncertain and unclear, but this also applies to being dead and being a vampire here; not only people, but also vampires constantly transgress categories.
Being turned into a vampire means dying and then coming back to life in a changed form. What if one got only half of the experience? What if a person died and was brought back to life, not turned into a vampire, but still changed, a being escaping any labels? Buffy herself dies twice: first at the end of Season One (drowned by the Master), and later at the end of Season Five (sacrifices herself to save the world). Both deaths affect the Slayer and the language she uses. I will examine to what extent this linguistic change takes place.
Although the series features many vampires, it is hardly fully shown what happens to a person when they are turned into one. Thus is it important to show the change of character’s identity (human/vampire) to the audience – it is done through acting, props, sometimes clothes and through language. In this section I will look at Jesse, the first character to be shown transformed from human to vampire; Buffy, William/Spike and William’s mother.
The third part of my paper will focus on the notion of a vampire with a soul. The vampires in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not human, but soulless, demonic creatures. There are two exceptions to this rule in the show – Angel and Spike. Angel becomes a vampire in the 18th century and at some point is cursed by the Gypsies: his soul is returned and with it – his conscience. Human William is turned into a vampire in 1880 and eventually becomes cruel Spike the vampire. In the last season of the series Spike gets his soul back out of love for Buffy. I will compare both vampires in their two personas – with and without the soul – and examine the changes in their language.
The long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires and there are more prominent ones; there are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel; more contemporary ones, as well as reluctant vampires. To construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
In this paper I will explore the relationship between masculinity and the language the vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer use (‘macho vampires vs. the Slayer’). The show aimed to abolish the stereotype vampire and to propose a new incarnation of this creature, but to do that, it had to depict such a vampire first. The vampires at the beginning of the series embrace the ‘macho’ monster and it is achieved also through the way they speak. Jowett discussed gender in Buffy in Sex and the Slayer (2005) and Stuller looked at Buffy as a superheroine in Ink-Stained Amazons (2010). I’d like to look at how vampire ‘macho’ attitude is reflected in language.
Thanks to different first-person narrators each book gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. I explored what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities are reflected in these choices.
MCU superhero films focus on action, and not dialogue. And yet, I want to argue that language is used here skillfully for characterization of specific heroes. In my previous research I have looked at Joss Whedon’s contribution to MCU (Avengers 2012; Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-present) and his use of language (he is particularly recognized for his language creativity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)). Now I want to expand my focus to other Marvel films.
In this presentation I would like to concentrate on two characters that appeared both in individual and ‘team’ movies, namely Tony Stark (Iron Man), and Steve Rogers (Captain America). I will examine their characterization by applying stylistic and pragmatic analysis to the language they use. I will look at their lexical and grammatical choices, their conversational behaviour and tone, as well as any (im)politeness strategies they employ. I will use examples from: Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Captain America: Civil War (2016).
This paper stems from my doctoral research into vampire transformations in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and how these are signalled in language. This has evolved into wider interest in character transformations in popular culture and their use of language.
I’m particularly interested in how language is used to present, deal with or conceal superhero identity in both television and cinema. Thanks to the long-term narrative overarching Marvel franchises, MCU superheroes constantly change. In this paper I will look at two characters at the opposite ends of the MCU spectrum: Steve Rogers/Captain America, and Agent Phil Coulson, and their development. I’d like to explore how their journey as (super)heroes – their gradual transformation – is signalled in the language they use. I will apply linguistic analysis to comment on Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson’s portrayal, and look at their choice of vocabulary and structures, conversation behaviour, as well as their use of politeness and impoliteness strategies.
What is interesting about Buffy the Vampire Slayer is that the long running nature of the series means that the writers are able to develop an extremely wide variety of vampire types. There are background vampires, whom Buffy stakes without a blink, and there are more prominent ones, who stick around longer and influence significantly the plot. There are conventional vampires, embracing a figure we know from the 19th-century Gothic novel, such as the Master in Season One or Dracula in Season Five; more contemporary vampires, like Darla (Season One) or Spike and Drusilla (from Season Two onwards); as well as ‘good’ vampires, who have a soul and do not kill, like Angel (from Season One) and Spike (final season). It is clear then that to construct a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer one needs more than just a black Bela Lugosi cape. The vampires in the show are constructed through acting, clothes, props, but also through language.
Humour and irony are significant parts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although the show ended seven years ago, its fans still use the quotes from the series not only when discussing Buffy, but also in everyday use. This has been explored by Mark Peters (2006) and Marianne Cantwell (2004). There are numerous websites devoted to the most popular quotes from Buffy (e.g. www.buffyquotes.co.uk) as well as printed collections such as The Quotable Slayer compiled by Micol Ostow and Steven Brezenoff (2005). However, when humour and clever lines in the series are mentioned, it is usually words uttered by Buffy herself or the Scoobies (her friends and helpers). In this paper I will examine the humour used by the vampires and how it contributes to the construction of these characters. I will also propose several reasons for the use of humour among the vampires in question, such as distancing oneself from others, endearing oneself to others or breaking the tension of a moment.
From language perspective the composition of the series is interesting. Each book is narrated by a different sister and thus gives the story a particular atmosphere and hue. This is reflected in the language. For the purpose of this paper I will focus on the first three books of the series. Witchling (2006) is told by the oldest sister, Camille, and the book is full of magic. Delilah, the middle sister, narrates Changeling (2007) which deals with shapeshifting. Darkling (2008) tells the story of Menolly, the youngest, who – unlike her sisters who were born with their magical abilities – was brutally turned into a vampire, and hence her book is much darker. I would like to explore what language choices the sisters make to tell their stories, and how their personalities, their sexuality and outcast status are reflected in the language.
When creating Buffy, Whedon, personally a fan of B films and a self-proclaimed feminist, wanted to invert the horror formula where a blond girl goes into a dark alley and gets killed at the beginning of the film. I would like to, however, examine his treatment of vampires in his work and if/how it is influenced/limited by the media he uses. I will look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer film (1992), TV series (1997-2003), Fray (2001-2003), Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic books (2007-present) as well as his latest show, Dollhouse (2009-2010), and explore how Whedon has developed (or deconstructed) the idea of the vampire in those.
In the 1992 film Whedon focused on the Slayer not giving vampires much screen space. In the following series (1997-2003), due to its long-running character (seven seasons) he was able to develop those characters more and propose different types of vampire not only to tackle and dismiss the stereotype vampire (the Master, Dracula), but to discuss the problem of a reluctant/sympathetic vampire (Angel, Spike) as well. I will also consider future vampires (Fray), vampire TV celebrities (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8) and undead-like dolls (Dollhouse).
It is striking then that in the opening of Season Five Whedon drew on Bram Stoker’s work and Dracula made an appearance. Whedon’s Dracula is, however, more a reworking of the count’s image in the popular culture, rather than a faithful homage to Bram Stoker. In Buffyverse Dracula is alive and well. He appears just once in the series, only to return in the comic book continuation of the show (Buffy Season 8). The purpose of his introduction is manifold: he is a comic relief, a foil for Buffy, but also a reminder of her complex and dark Slayer heritage. Although his presence is short, he seems to have a special status in the show: Buffy never succeeds in defeating him, and later (in the comic) even calls for his help. In this paper I would like to explore Dracula’s presence and significance in Buffy, what reincarnation of Dracula Whedon proposes and how it is expressed in language.
When the Halliwell sisters learn they are witches, they inherit The Book of Shadows, a collection of spells, potion recipes and descriptions of demons passed in their family from generation to generation. With both their mother and grandmother dead, the book is the only source of the sisters’ knowledge as well as the source of their power. Later the sisters learn that their ancestors added to the book when the necessity arose and that they themselves can write their own spells. The Halliwells gradually learn to write spells to defeat demons and warlocks. In my paper I will focus on the process of writing spells and the status of The Book of Shadows as the source of magical power.
This paper stems from my recent doctoral research into vampire transformations in Buffy and how they are signalled in language. However, here I would like to discuss Whedon’s latest creation – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I want to show that Whedon has not stopped his discussion of transformation/change at Buffy. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. echo the language of change present in Buffy, and take it to another level. Through examples, and comparison to quotes from Buffy, I will demonstrate that change is always on Whedon’s mind and that this preoccupation is visible in the language used by the Agents. I will focus on Agent Phil Coulson, examining his lexical choices, his politeness strategies, and his conversation behaviour.
In this paper I would like to explore Buffy’s influence on other TV series which aired almost alongside Buffy, Charmed (1998-2005), and its treatment of a strong female protagonist turning into a vampire. I will then take this examination further towards a different medium, and look at how both Buffy and Charmed influenced Sisters of the Moon series, a supernatural romance series written by Yasmine Galenorn.
Due to a strong female protagonist, Buffy Summers, the series’ gives more screen time to male vampires to counterbalance her. Buffy influenced Charmed; for a while both series were made by the same network. The protagonists in Charmed are three sisters-witches. One of them, Paige, is temporarily turned into a vampire, and the whole episode (‘Bite Me’) is sprinkled with references to Buffy. Like Charmed, Galenorn’s novels focus on three sisters (Fae). Menolly D’Artigo, one of the sisters, is a vampire, but a reluctant one. Charmed impact on Galenorn is clear; however, the author herself names Buffy as a bigger influence. In this paper I will examine the links between the three fictional works, and their representation of the strong female protagonists and their relationships with vampires, including becoming one.
In this paper I’d like to focus on one sister: Menolly. Looking at four books narrated by her I’d like to explore the ways in which she embodies Gothic Migrations. This happens on three levels. Firstly, she adds some gothic character to otherwise fantasy genre. Secondly, she finds herself in a different world (home vs. away) and thus sees our world as uncanny. And lastly, she has undergone a transformation into an uncanny being – from an acrobat spy into a creature of the night. I will examine how Menolly presents herself and how these three levels of her Gothic Migrations are expressed in her choice of language.
In this paper I will focus on the middle sister, Delilah. She is a werecat, but because of her mixed heritage, she does not turn into a large wild feline, but into a tabby cat. As her story progresses in the series, she becomes a Death Maiden which comes with another were form: a panther. Delilah turns into a tabby cat during the full moon or when she’s stressed, and into a panther when the Autumn Lord needs her. Her already dual personality – a young woman and a house cat – becomes even more complicated when she discovers her inner panther. I will examine how Delilah’s were nature is expressed in her narration, her choice of language. I will also provide examples of how other were animals (for example were seals or were pumas) are presented in Galenorn’s books. I will show how the urban fantasy genre provides a platform to discuss multiple facets of such creatures.
In this paper I would like to focus on Whedon’s recent involvement in the Marvel telecinematic universe: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series (2013-present), Avengers Assemble (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).Whedon’s work with Marvel is trans-media but set in the same universe. I would like to examine how the format reflects the content; a feature film dealing with superheroes and packed with action, and a TV series focused on human characters operating in the background of all this superhero action. I will show how Whedon’s use of language both facilitates the link between both stories and emphasizes the difference between the two media. I will also look at few characters present in both formats such as Agent Phil Coulson and examine whether their language use changes with the format.
This paper stems from my previous research into vampire transformations in Buffy and how they are signalled in language. However, here I would like to discuss Whedon’s recent contribution to the Marvel Telecinematic Universe. I will focus on two characters that undergo an important transformation: Steve Rogers/Captain America in Avengers Assemble (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Phil Coulson in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-present). Both Rogers and Coulson journey to a position of leadership. The former grows from a reluctant member of the Avengers to a confident leader; the latter goes from an agent following orders to the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I will explore how these transformations are expressed in the language both men use: their lexical choices, politeness strategies, and conversation behaviour. I will also show how they assert their leadership via language.