The pragmatics of precedent phenomena in literary discourse (based on Joanne Harris’s novel “Gentlemen and Players”)
Abstract
The article examines the functioning of precedent phenomena with various source domains in literary discourse, which is understood as a dialogic interaction between the author and the reader within specific socio- and linguocultural coordinates. The study aims to substantiate the communicative-pragmatic status of precedent phenomena in literary discourse. Scientific originality lies in identifying the dynamic shift of precedent phenomena across their various typological categories over time, which exerts a distinct influence on the pragmatic potential of literary discourse. The study establishes that the interpretive multiplicity of textual meanings in literary discourse is enhanced by ironic contexts arising when universal-precedent phenomena transition into societal-precedent ones. Metaphorization, carried out at various textual levels due to precedent phenomena, is capable of generating, among other things, symbols that in turn construct a coherent artistic image with broad pragmatic capabilities. Based on Joanne Harris’s novel “Gentlemen and Players”, it is demonstrated that precedent texts, precedent utterances, precedent names, and precedent situations are capable of contextual interaction. This interaction is actualized by the fluid boundaries between these phenomena within the text according to traditional classifications: auto-precedent, societal-precedent, national-precedent, and universal-precedent phenomena display a tendency toward synthesis, driven both by the specific aesthetic objectives of the author and by the linguocultural competences and background knowledge of the reader.