Gendered-based Analysis of Politeness Strategies employed in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House
Abstract
Gender differences in using language have been examined for hundreds of years. The study of politeness strategies has much significance in this regard since it clearly reveals the interdependence of gender and language. This paper attempts to examine discrepancies between men and women in a male dominated society by employing Brown and Levinson’s strategies of politeness. The methodology adopted in this study is discourse investigation of Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”. Brown & Levinson’s model of politeness has been implemented as a tool for the analysis of the utterances of the characters, determining variations between males and females in the use of politeness strategies. The results expose that women are socially restricted to use positive politeness strategies to pay regards towards man’s public face and to show their subordination while men freely apply bald on record, a dominating politeness strategy to impose their superiority over women. Moreover, it shows that there are changes in use of women language with the advancement of their social status in which they become more and more self-assertive and independent. Findings will contribute in better understanding of the phenomenon of politeness and its implication on men and women conversational styles.
Authors
Muhammad Ilyas Mahmood
Director, Centre for English Language & Learning, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan
Abida Shamim
Visiting Lecturer, Centre for English Language & Learning, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan
Mobashra Mobeen
Centre for English Language & Learning, University of Okara, Punjab, Pakistan
Keywords
Brown and Levinson, Culture, Gender, Language, Politeness Strategies