Questions in hidden figures: A pragmatic view

Abstract

In everyday communication, questions have always been crucial parts of different exchanges as they exhibit a wide range of functions. Questions are not only used for explicit information, but also as a tool for initiating a conversation, expressing irony, threatening, suspicion, disagreement, or even disappointment and exasperation, in addition to seeking a standpoint and winning an argument. Furthermore, they can act as an attention-grabber tool.The current study aims at (1) highlighting the role of questions in the Hidden Figure movie, (2) exploring the different pragmatic functions of questions in the movie, and (3) showing the effect of questions in reaching a standpoint. To reach the above aims, the researcher investigates questions in their syntactic form and their pragmatic function in Hidden Figure movies as the data source. Among the concluding points reached by the researcher is that question can have both direct acts and indirect acts. The direct one is reflected by the common use of questions; seeking information, asking for permission, and starting a conversation. Whereas the indirect act of questions can be reflected by using them to make threatening, issuing racism, expressing disagreement, and starting an argument. The result shows that (623) different forms of questions were found in the movie; these forms functioned differently depending on the context. The most dominant functions were questions seeking information, asking for clarification, issuing an argument, expressing disbelief or anger, and seeking agreement. It is also found that questions are powerful tools of argumentation and used as an effective strategy to support a standpoint.