THE CONCEPT “STATE” THROUGH THE PRISM OF COMMUNICATIVE INTENTIONS OF THE DYSTOPIAN FICTION DISCOURSE

Abstract

The scope of research of this article centers around the dystopian fiction discourse. The authors have identified the specific purpose of fiction discourse, which is to influence the reader’s “spiritual continuum”, their system of values, knowledge and personal benchmarks. To achieve this goal the writer can manipulate historic realities and sources of information. In fiction discourse, the categories of lie and truth as regards the objective reality lack sense. In their attempt to leave impact on the inner world of the reader, the authors of the dystopian discourse trigger off both textual (language) and extra - textual (conceptual) resources, such as the reader’s background knowledge and the social concepts typical of the given community. The concept “state” is one of the domineering concepts of the English dystopian fiction discourse. The article deals with the means used by the authors of English - language dystopias to express their attitude to the institution of state. These specific means are shown in the frame of analysis of the authors’ communicative intentions. The article demonstrated the leading role of imperative - activating and warning - intimidating communicative intentions in the fiction futuristic discourse through the description of pragmatic ways of objectification of the concept “state”. This concept is represented by the authors with the help of explication of the features and components peculiar not only for the writers’ individual view/style but for the ideology of whole generations. The article focuses on the tactics and strategies which the authors resort to in order to fulfill their initial communicative intentions.