Linguistic Means of Expressing Evaluation in J. Grisham’s Novel “Rogue Lawyer”

Abstract

Linguistics actively discusses the content of the notion of evaluation as a language category. The given article aims at analyzing linguistic means of expressing evaluation in John Grisham’s novel “Rogue Lawyer”. The analysis was carried out with the help of the following methods of research: continuous sampling method, textual analysis of the selected means of evaluation, statistical data processing. The article deals with lexical and syntactic means of evaluation. The evaluation in most cases has a “minus sign”. The article contains examples of lexical means of evaluation, such as pejoratives, melioratives, idioms, modal words. It also deals with stylistic devices providing evaluation: metaphor, simile, irony, allusion. The paper analyses the syntactic means used by the author to express evaluation: rhetorical questions, exclamatory sentences, parallel constructions, repetition. The research shows that with the help of the linguistic means of evaluation the author manages to create the negative image of most representatives of the judicial system and demonstrate his attitude towards the system of justice in his country.