Speech Acts - The Faculty of English

When we talk, we do such things as greet, promise, warn, order, invite, congratulate, advise, thank, insult, and these are known as speech acts. From a literary ... SpeechActs Definition Demonstration LiteraryExercise TeachingPoint FacultyofEnglish EnglishLanguageOnlineResource DefinitionoftermSpeechActs TheconceptofSpeechActswasfirstdevelopedbyJ.L.Austin(HowToDoThingsWithWords,1962)andelaboratedbyJohnSearle(SpeechActs,1969).Whenwetalk,wedosuchthingsasgreet,promise,warn,order,invite,congratulate,advise,thank,insult,andtheseareknownasspeechacts.Fromaliterarycriticalpointofview,SpeechActTheorycanbeausefultoolforthoseliteraryconversationswherecharactersappeartobesayingonethingbutarereallysayinganother,suchaswhenacharacterisostensiblygivingadvicebutisactuallydeliveringathreat;orwhenacharacterisostensiblyguidingtouristsbutisactuallyflirting.Doingtwothingsatoncewhenwespeakisnormal,ofcourse;there’snothingespeciallyliteraryaboutit. Anillocutionaryactisoneofasserting,demanding,promising,suggesting,exclaiming,vowing–essentially,anythingthatyoucanplausiblyputthepronounIinfrontof(Iwarnyou,Iurgeyou,Ithankyou).Illocutionaryactsaredeclarationsofpersonalvieworintent.Theyarepronouncementsfromtheselftotheworld.Go!(‘Iorderyoutogo’);Igivetheemytroth(Iamintheprocessofmarryingyou);knitone,purlone(‘Iorderyoutoknitone,purlone).Illocutionaryactsdon’thavetohaveanimmediate,present,audience:Thisismylastwillandtestament.ThisbookbelongstoJoeBloggs. Aperlocutionaryactisoneofgettingsomebodytodosomething;persuading(themtodosomething),convincing(themtothinksomething),scaring(gettingthemtobeafraid),insulting(gettingthemtobeoffended),amusing(gettingthemtolaugh).Perlocutionaryactshaveanagenda,anagendadirectedatsomeoneelse.TheycannottakethepronounIsoeasily:contrastIurgeyouwith*Ipersuadeyou;Iadviseyouwith*Iconvinceyou. links: Whatisaspeechact? DemonstrationofSpeechActsinaction HereisanextractfromanovelsetinIrelandamongsttheAnglo-Irishclasses: Sylviawashappilyofherageandtime.Competent,notwild.Prettyintherightandacceptedway.Nothingembarrassinglycleverabouther.Everythingshehadwasbuttonedupandputawayinlittleboxes.Shewasstrong.Twoofhergirlfriendsarrived.Theycameonbicyclesandleanttheirbicyclesagainstthepillarsoftheporticoandcameintothecoolhallwiththeirracketsintheirhands. “Hallo,Sylvia.” “Hallo,Cecily,Hallo,Violet.” “Hallo,Sylvia.” “Lovelynewballs.” “Who’scoming?” “Tony,Michael,MajorRadley,JohnWade,Ithink.” “Hownice.” “Whatfun.” “Ilikeyournewblouse,Violet.” “Ididallthatfaggotstitchmyself.” “Ihopethere’scoffeecakefortea.” “Yes,thereis,greedypig.” “Aretheygoingtostaylate?” “Shallwedance?” “Wemight.There’slotsofcoldfoodforsupper.” “Iwanttoplay‘Whispering.’” “‘Whisperingwhileyoucuddlemenear’,oh,it’ssolovely.” “‘Whisperingsonoonecanhearme.’”Theysang,wanderingoutofthehouseintheirwhiteshoesandstockings,carryingracketsandtennisballstothesmoothsunnygrasswherewhitepaintedseatsweresetinthewidefern-likeshadeofacedartree.Theretheywaitedfortheirmentoarrive,pullingattheirclothesandpreeningtheirhairlikehenbirdspickingdownthelengthsofabreast-feather,answeringeachotherabsently,theirmindsputforwardtothegaychallengeofthehourstocome. PresentlyGraniacameoutandjoinedthem.ShewasnotfondofSylvia’stwogirlfriends.Theyplayedtennistoowellandspoketoheralmostkindly,butnowshefeltsograndandwholecomparedtothem,half-livingonkissesandglancesandlittleno’sthatshewasabletocompetewiththem. “Howlateyourmenare,”shesaid,beginningwithawholesomebroadside.Shethrewherselfdownonarug,feelingtheshortgrasswithherhands. “Justaswell,dear,”Sylviasaid.“Itwillgiveyoutimetotuckyourshirtinsideyourskirt,andevenputonapairofstockingswithoutaholeinthem.Ifyouhurry.” “Oh,Ican’treallygotoallthatbotherforafewmen.”Granialayclosertotheground.“ThoughIadmireyougirlsalotforthetroubleyoutakeaboutyourselves.” “Howareyourotherbackhandshotsgettingon?”oneofthefriendsasked. “Oh,notbadatall.” “Don’tunderrateyourself,dear,youbrokethedrawing-roomwindowsocleverlyyesterday–oneofyourbeststrokes.” Graniagiggled.Sylviacouldn’tupsether. Commentary Wecandatethe“ageandtime”ofthisfictionalconversationbecausethesonglyricsaretakenfromarealsong(Whispering,byJohnandMalvinSchonberger,1920,foundbygooglingthelyrics).Sylvia,CecilyandVioletarewaitingforthe“gaychallenge”ofyoungmentoshowupandpartnerthemattennis.Infacttheoccasionisgrimratherthangayastheundercurrentisoneofdetermination,ifnotdesperation–thegirlsareincompetitionwitheachotherforadmirers.Althoughthisisnotmadeexplicitwecandeduceitfromtheirpreening,theirlackofattentiontoeachother(“answeringeachotherabsently”),andtheirbitchiness. “Ilikeyournewblouse,Violet.” “Ididallthatfaggotstitchmyself.” “Ihopethere’scoffeecakefortea.” “Yes,thereis,greedypig.” Thefourverbshaveillocutionaryforce:Ilike,Idid,Ihope,thereis.Doanyoftheutteranceshaveperlocutionaryforce?Is‘Ididallthatfaggotstitchmyself’aboast,inwhichcaseitismeanttodiscomforttheco-locutor,orisitmerefact?Is‘greedypig’saidinafriendlybanteringmanner,orisitbarbed?Inreallife,wedon’talwaysknowforsure.WhenGraniajoinsthethreegirlswecanbecertainthatthereisamaliciousundercurrentastheyaresaidtospeaktoher‘almostkindly’.Theperlocutionaryforceof““Justaswell,dear,”…“Itwillgiveyoutimetotuckyourshirtinsideyourskirt,andevenputonapairofstockingswithoutaholeinthem.Ifyouhurry””,is:‘Youlookamess’.Theaddress-termdear,incontext,issarcastic.Graniareactsinkind:““Oh,Ican’treallygotoallthatbotherforafewmen.”…“ThoughIadmireyougirlsalotforthetroubleyoutakeaboutyourselves.””Theperlocutionaryforceofthisis:“Idon’tneedtodressuptoattractmenasyoudo,asIalreadyhaveaboyfriend”,and“Ittakesyouanenormousamountofefforttolookthewayyoudo,whichyouneedtodobecauseunlikemeyouhaven’tyetattractedaman”.Thegirlsunderstandtheperlocutionaryforceandoneripostes:““Howareyourotherbackhandshotsgettingon?”,referencingGrania’sbackhandcompliment,whichwasnocomplimentatall. LiteraryExercise Hereisaphoneconversationfromthedaysoffixedlandlines. ButontheseventhringsheansweredthephoneandtheoperatoraskedhertoacceptacollectcallfromPamela.“Willyouaccept?”shesaid. “Yes,Iwill,”mymothersaid. WhyitwasjustasifIhadbeenwanderingsomeYorkshiremoorsformanydays,throughgorseandsnowandsleet,eventhoughitwaspracticallyninetydegreesoutside!“Ma!”Isaid. “Whereareyou?”shesaid. “I’matapayphone,”Isaid,“inthemiddleofastore.” “Soyoucan’ttalk?”shesaid. “Notreally,”Ihissed,blinkingoverattheman.Nowthatmyeyeshadadjusted,Isawwhatamockeryofhumanitythisguywas.Gaunt,dressedinoverallswithasoiledbib,swollennose,andgreasyred-blondhairandbeard–hewasplayingsometypeofboardgame,alone,andtherewassomethingvaguelyfamiliarabouthim.“Areyouatyourfather’s?”shesaid. “Near,”Isaid. “Andhowishe?”shesaid. “Uh-huh,”Isaid “Deceased?”shesaid. “Uh-huh,”Isaid. Therewasapause.“Butotherwise,areyouhavingagoodtime?” “Ican’thearyouverywell,”Isaid.“There’saflyinmyear.” “Doyouwantmetodrivethere?”shesaid.“IfIcanfindasubstitutetoteachmyclasses?” “No!”Isaid.“Thatwouldonlymakethingsworse.”MuchasIlovedmymother,IknewthatveryquicklyafterIsawherIwouldreverttoadolescentbehavior,duetothefactthatduringmyadolescenceIhadneverrebelled,andsomepartofmewasmakingupforthatnow. “Areyoudepressed?”shesaid. “Alittle,”Isaid. “Maybeyou’regettingyourperiod,”shesaid. Therewassomethingstrangelyunsatisfyingabouttheconversation.Maybetoomuchtimehadgonebysincewehadlastspokenandshehadchanged.“Well,thisisn’tmuchofaconversation,”shesaid.“Iguessyoucan’ttalk.” “That’sright,”Isaid. “Somethingremarkablehashappenedhere,”shesaid. “What?”Isaid. “OneofmystudentsputherbluejeansinthewashingmachineandwhensheopeneditshediscoveredaBritishRevolutionaryWaruniform.It’sinexcellentcondition,practicallynew,andwe’regoingtotakeittothecostumeandclothingdepartmentoftheMetropolitanMuseum.” “Aw,Ma,”Isaid.“Sheprobablyhadonelyingaroundormadeit.” “Idon’tthinkso,”shesaid.Itwouldbeimpossibletofakeit;theycandoteststodetermineitsagethroughthefabric.” “Sowhatdoyouthinkhappened?”Isaid. “Ibelievethewashingmachinewastemporarilyattachedtosomeconduitopeningontothepast.NowsomebodyintheRevolutionaryWarhasapairofnewLevi’s.” “Ifonlysomethinglikethatwouldhappentome!”Isaid. “Iknow,”mymothersaid. “Iwouldgiveanythingforjustoneexperiencelikethat.Orifalienslandedandtookmeintheirspacecraft,andinjectedmewithsomepainfulsubstanceandthendepositedmeonthehighway!” “Haveyouseenanyspacecraftoutthere?”mymothersaid. “No,”Isaid. “Whydon’tyouandAbdhulgooutatnightandlook?”shesaid. “Mm,”Isaid,keepingoneeyeonSilasMarner.Hewasreallyrank,too,justmyluck.Didn’titoffendhimtolivewithhisownodor,ordidheenjoyit?ItremindedmeofamanIhadoncefoundthroughanadinthelocalpapertotypesomeofmyessaysandmythesisincollege.Hehadsmelled,too.Humanbeingswereveryodd,Ihadforgottenthisafterbeingawayfromtheminthewoods. “Youreallyshouldkeepyoureyesout,”mymothersaid.“Iwasjustreading,howrecentlytheCIAcapturedanalien,andapparentlyhe’sescaped.I’dsendyoutheclipping,ifyouhadamailingaddress.” “Doesthealien–haveastrongscent?”Isaidinahiss. “Whatareyousaying?”mymothersaid.“Doessomebodytheresmell? “Yes!”Isaidtriumphantly.ThatwasalltheproofIneededjustnowthatmymotherandIwerestillattunedtooneanother. Identifyanyperlocutionaryutterancesfromtheexcerptaboveandconsiderhowtheyfurthertheconversation.Writeyouranswerbelow: Compareyouranswer Compareyouranswerwiththesampleanswerbelow: Commentary Thespeakercan’tspeakopenlybecause‘SilasMarner’willoverhearher.Thereforesheusesindirectspeechactsinthehopethathermotherwillgraspherintent.TheexchangesabouttheRevolutionaryWaruniformandspacealiensarenotliteralillocutionaryacts,theyareplace-holdersfortherealconversationwhichcannottakeplace.Theirperlocutionaryforceis“Iwanttotalktoyou”,“Areyoualright?”and“Yes,Iam”. TeachingPoint Conversationsinliteraturesometimesconveymorethantheparticipantspurporttosay,eithertoeachother,ortothereader.SpeechActTheorycanbeusefulforanalysingconversationswithmultipleagendas. WhisperingJackSmith-Whispering Whispering HoneyIhavesomethingtotellyou, Andit’sworthwhilelisteningto; Putyourlittleheadonmyshoulder, SothatIcanwhispertoyou: Whisperingwhileyoucuddlenearme, Whisperingsonoonecanhearme, Eachlittlewhisperseemstocheerme, Iknowit’strue,there’snoone,dearbutyou; You’rewhisperingwhyyou’llneverleaveme, Whisperingwhyyou’llnevergrieveme; Whisperandsaythatyoubelieveme, WhisperingthatIloveyou. Whispering,byJohnSchonberger(music)andMalvinSchonberger(lyrics),1920 Credits × Team: Content:LauraWright Illustrations:JohnWilcox Implementation:PedramBadakhchani Concept:ChristophZähner Copyrights:ElizabethTilley Permissions: TheUniversityofCambridgeFacultyofEnglishwouldliketothankthecopyrightholdersforgrantingpermissionstoreproducethetextsusedinthisEnglishLanguageOnlineCourse. EveryeffortwasmadetoclearpermissionsofallextractsreprintedinthisEnglishLanguageOnlineCourse,andtheFacultyofEnglishwouldbeveryhappytohearfromcopyrightholderswehavebeenunabletotrace. 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