В художественном дискурсе эмоционально-оценочный компонент представляется ключевым средством воздействия на читателя, реализации эстетической функции текста и выражения авторских интенций. В статье рассматриваются примеры использования риторического вопроса как одного из синтаксических средств передачи эмоционально-оценочного компонента. Исследование направлено на выявление семантических и прагматических особенностей применения риторического вопроса в контексте художественного произведения.
Ключевые слова: риторический вопрос, эмоционально-оценочный компонент, художественный дискурс.
The study of discourse invariably involves examining the communication process, encompassing the interrelation of specific participants, their intentions, goals, and strategies. In the context of artistic discourse, communication is conducted through the use of text between the author and the reader. Therefore, artistic communication is considered as indirect in essence. In this regard, the author’s primary objective is to exert an aesthetic and emotional influence on the recipient in order to convey personal values, emotions, and assessments through the text of the work. At the same time, the reader is not merely an object of passive perception, but also an active agent in the process of interpretation. The process of decoding the text of a work of art stimulates the recipient to reflect, analyse and undergo internal changes due to the influence of the world picture presented in the artistic text, which provides scope for varying interpretations. The author’s position, along with the psychological and philosophical concepts embedded within the text, is frequently communicated not directly, but through the utilisation of symbols, images and stylistic devices intended to evoke specific emotions, experiences and associations in the reader [1].
One of the most effective stylistic means of conveying the emotional-evaluative component is the rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions are not distinguished from regular interrogative sentences in terms of form, yet differ in content, as they are employed to express an opinion regarding the information being communicated. In other words, the utilisation of such a syntactic device is not motivated by the pursuit of an answer, but rather by the objective of grabbing the attention of the listener or reader. In a work of fiction, rhetorical questions are used to enhance the emotional-evaluative component, as well as to create a dramatic or comic effect [2]. However, it is notable that rhetorical questions are commonly implemented in conflict situations, serving to express negative emotions and evaluations, including surprise, distrust, reproach, and resentment, among others [3, p. 138].
For the purpose of a detailed analysis of the use of rhetorical questions in the communication of the emotional-evaluative component, the novel Jade City by contemporary writer Fonda Lee was selected as material.
In the following example, the use of rhetorical questions is linked to the conveyance of the character’s emotional state:
Hilo went back to eating, and she wondered, How can he even eat right now [4, p. 271]?
The rhetorical question «How can he even eat right now?» is used in the heroine’s inner speech and reflects her negative evaluation of another character’s actions. The heroine’s perception of the situation suggests that eating seems impossible or inappropriate at that moment. Therefore, the question emphasises her moral involvement in the situation, as well as expressing astonishment and condemnation of Hilo’s indifference. Moreover, the employment of the adverb even serves to enhance the expressiveness of the line, thereby underscoring the internal emotional tension. As a result, the rhetorical question not only reflects the character’s reaction but also influences the reader, involving in the emotional experience of the situation. The use of the rhetorical question reinforces the expressiveness of the narrative and contributes to the disclosure of the character’s personality and moral values.
Rhetorical questions are also present in the narrator’s speech, as demonstrated in the following instance:
Who else in the clan could stand up to Hilo? Who else could moderate him, could keep him from getting himself killed and taking the clan down with him [4, p. 273]?
The series of rhetorical questions serve to depict a state of emotional tension, coupled with a sense of despair. The syntactic structure of the questions is based on the use of parallel constructions expressed by the interrogative adverb who and the adverb else , as well as the predicates could stand up , could moderate , and could keep . The parallelism is intended to encourage the reader to evaluate Hilo as an exceptional clan leader and to reveal his impulsiveness and potentially dangerous nature. Therefore, the combination of these syntactic devices enhances the emotivity of the narrative and emphasises the sense of anxiety. Rhetorical questions, along with parallelism, convey the narrator’s doubts, his fear of the future, and his awareness of the clan’s fragility without Hilo.
Rhetorical questions are also used in a character’s direct speech to convey strong experiences:
Why him? He was always such a good, thoughtful man, a dutiful son. Ah, Lan-se, why were you so foolish? So good, and so foolish [4, p.287]?
The speaker suffers emotional trauma and a deep sense of loss, which is conveyed through rhetorical questions such as « Why him? », expressed in an elliptical sentence consisting of the interrogative adverb why and the pronoun him in the objective case, as well as « ...why were you so foolish? So good, and so foolish? ». The questions become a form of outburst of inner feelings. Through their utilisation, the protagonist embodies a state of desolation, bewilderment, and an endeavour to comprehend the tragic turn of events. Besides, the line contains a repetition of the phrase so foolish , which indicates the character’s emotional breakdown and feelings of guilt and loss. Furthermore, as a stylistic device the apostrophe ah, Lan-se introduces a sense of farewell to the speech and reflects the speaker’s regret. Thus, the syntactic organisation of the line conveys the character’s chaotic thoughts and sincerity, contributing to the emotional tension of the scene and evoking empathy in the reader.
The extract from the dialogue presented below exemplifies the utilisation of rhetorical questions in a conflict situation:
«I tried to bring the clans together again.» «By covering for the Mountain while they mined jade behind our backs? By colluding with their Weather Man to sell us out? [4, p. 288]»
The line « I tried to bring the clans together again » is the speaker’s attempt to justify himself and declare his good intentions. However, the subsequent speech of the interlocutor, consisting of rhetorical questions, refutes what has been said and intensifies the conflict between the characters. The sequence of rhetorical questions « By covering for the Mountain while they mined jade behind our backs? By colluding with their Weather Man to sell us out? » conveys both indignation and doubt about the honesty of the other party. In addition, the questions are based on syntactic parallelism, which is constructed according to the following pattern preposition by + complex object expressed by -ing form ( covering, colluding ) + subordinate clause. The structure of this reply enables the speaker to create rhythm and enhance the narrative’s expressiveness, giving the speech a sharp, tense and sarcastic tone. Thus, rhetorical questions contribute to the emphatic reinforcement of the negative evaluation and dramatic aspect of the dialogue.
In the course of analysing rhetorical questions in artistic discourse, it becomes apparent that the stylistic device acts as a tool for emotional-evaluative impact, deeply embedded in the structure of communication between the author, characters, and reader. Rhetorical questions in artistic discourse are a universal device for expressing evaluation, as well as a means of enhancing the emotional and aesthetic impact of the narrative. The use of these devices enables a profound exploration of the inner world of the characters, adds dynamism and persuasiveness to the narrative, and engages the reader in a process of reflection and empathy.
References:
- Бех, Е. Ф. Художественный дискурс и его отличия от остальных видов дискурса / Е. Ф. Бех // Наука и образование: отечественный и зарубежный опыт: международная научно-практическая заочная конференция: сборник статей, Белгород, 15 ноября 2017 года. — Белгород: ООО ГиК, 2017. — С. 232–235.
- Минова, М. В. Риторические вопросы в художественном дискурсе / М. В. Минова // Актуальные проблемы общей теории языка, перевода, межкультурной коммуникации и методики преподавания.: Сборник статей по материалам межвузовской студенческой научно-практической конференции, Москва, 06 декабря 2019 года / Отв. редактор Н. В. Бутылов. Том Выпуск 3. — Саранск: Индивидуальный предприниматель Афанасьев Вячеслав Сергеевич, 2020. — С. 166–173.
- Скородумова, Е. А. Риторический вопрос-реакция как средство выражения эмоций (на материале англоязычных художественных текстов) / Е. А. Скородумова // Вестник Челябинского государственного университета. — 2009. — № 39(177). — С. 137–139.
- Lee, F. Jade City / F. Lee. — New York: Orbit, 2017. — 560 p.
