A Study On Pragmatic Functions Of Vague Language In Gone With The Wind

According to Professor Wu Tieping, vagueness is ubiquitous and inevitable in natural language. Vagueness study has interested general readers, just as Richard Rorty once explained “it is an underlying concern with the question of whether and how language gets in touch with the world that has made vagueness a hot topic”(2005). Admittedly, vagueness study is far from new though, the studies on the pragmatic functions of semantic vagueness and pragmatic ambivalence seem to be underdone.This study contributes to the discussion of vagueness inspired by the pragmatic linguistics. In meeting the objective, the first aim of this study is to introduce the burgeoning literature on vagueness into discussion. It evaluates recent vagueness theory, particularly as an instrument in the reading and appreciation of the classical work Gone with the Wind. The second aim of the study is to demonstrate the power of vagueness that emerged, and explore how the vague meanings, understandings and perceptions acted out in everyday life. More specifically, the author hopes that her consideration of studying vagueness, especially as constructed in Gone with the Wind, can provide insights into this chosen theme and thus better comprehend the nature of communication.Designed as a qualitative study on conversations in Gone with the Wind and in the framework of the Cooperative Principle, the Politeness Principle and Speech Act Theory, the following questions are to be addressed:1) What types of vagueness are employed in Gone with the Wind?2) What pragmatic principles are observed or violated in Gone with the Wind?3) What are the pragmatic functions of semantic vagueness employed in Gonewith the Wind?4) What are the pragmatic functions of pragmatic ambivalence employed inGone with the Wind?The study is conducted from a qualitative view of semantic vagueness and pragmatic ambivalence,in which the vagueness theory is employed to discover elements relevant for the study of Gone with the Wind.The results indicate that vague language is employed extensively in composing the plot and developing the characters in the literature works. The reader’s knowledge of these distinctions of vagueness will help build great effectiveness in both the use and appreciation of literature language.The research consists of five chapters. Chapter One is the introduction which demonstrates the purpose of the study, its significance and the procedure to be designed. Chapter Two provides a brief review of the literature on vagueness in philosophy and its contemporary studies, specifically with an emphasis on semantic vagueness and pragmatic ambivalence. Chapter Three focuses on the identification and classification of selected samples of the works where vague language is examined in semantic vagueness and pragmatic ambivalence. Chapter Four is the result manifest which involves an analysis of pragmatic functions of semantic vagueness and pragmatic ambivalence in line with CP, PP, and Speech Act theory. Chapter Five is the final section which emphasizes how the concept of vagueness can be applied to wider literature in implications. It summarizes the major findings of the study, limitations of the present data and the suggestions for further research in the chosen theme.