A Pragmatic Analysis of Some Rhetorical Devices in Two Selected Short Stories: A Mother (1914) and The End of the Party (1929)

Abstract

Abstract:

This research is devoted to the account of the rhetorical devices in two selected modern English short stories. The main aim behind this study is to provide a pragmatic analysis of five rhetorical devices including simile, metaphor, personification, irony and metonymy in two selected short stories A Mother (1914) by James Joyce, The End of the Party (1929) by Graham Greene. The rhetorical devices include some language figures occurring in the spoken and written language and literary and non-literary contexts which can be used for making meaning and using it for various types of purposes. The model in question is Speech Act Theory which is used to analyze the rhetorical devices in relation with the speaker’s utterances and the implied meaning behind these devices. The study follows a descriptive qualitative method to investigate the meaning and use of these rhetorical devices in the selected extracts to demonstrate the pragmatic effect of these devices upon the reader. The findings of the study demonstrate that the use of rhetorical devices in different sorts of utterances with the speaker’s intention make the intended meaning more persuasive increasing the rhetorical force of the utterances.  The emergence and progression of rhetoric in the field of communication and literature is regarded as one of the achievements of Greek civilization. Basically this refers to the artistic and tactful use of language to make or persuade people to perform things. This is justifiable power of language used by someone wherever necessary; this effect is carried out through the employment of a number of rhetorical devices which are known as “the available means of persuasion.” (Aristotle, 2008, p. 8). They provide various types of effects to the message because they affect the content of the message and shape the ideas introduced in the body of the message.