This paper is going to deal with the usage and effects of ‘presupposition’ and ‘entailment’ with regard to the emergence of these semantic theories in Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies. For this purpose, the following will be subdivided into two main parts. The first one will be an introductory part in which every tool and term that is to be used will be spelled out.
The first chapter is going to deal with ‘truth values’ and ‘truth conditions’. The terms ‘truth condition’ and ‘truth value’, as well as the meaning of ‘priori’ and ‘posteriori’ truth are going to be pointed out in order to show the relations of the theory of ‘truth’ with the ones of ‘entailment’ and ‘presupposition’.
The second chapter is going to analyze ‘presuppositions’ and its main ideas. For this purpose, the chapter is going to begin with a proper definition of this theory. It is to be pointed out what ‘presuppositions’ are, how they are used and how the many possible ‘presuppositions’ can be distinguished from one another in general by their triggers. In order to do so, this is going to be followed by an explanatory part about ‘presupposition triggers’, including which these triggers are and how they are used, as well as some examples.
The third chapter is going to examine the semantic theory of ‘entailment’ and its main ideas. At first, it will be pointed out what ‘entailment’ means by using a truth-based definition by John I. Saeed. In order to explain how this semantic theory works, this paragraph will also include some examples, as well as a short excurse to ‘hyponymy’, since this is a regular source for entailment between sentences. Furthermore, the so called ‘truth table’ will be introduced in order to improve the accessibility of the theory by visualizing it.
The second part is going to be the analysis of some selected passages of Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies in terms of the above named aspects, in which the usage and effect of presupposition and entailment in this context will be pointed out.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of usage and effect of presupposition and entailment in Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies
2.1 Introduction to the semantic theories used for the analysis
2.1.1 What is truth
2.1.2 What is Presupposition
2.1.3 What is entailment
2.2 Analysis of the novel Warm Bodies
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to explore the linguistic phenomena of presupposition and entailment as they appear in Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies. The core objective is to analyze how the author utilizes these semantic tools to influence reader perception, foster empathy for the protagonist, and convey thematic elements regarding humanity and identity.
- Theoretical foundation of semantic concepts (Truth, Presupposition, Entailment).
- Taxonomy of presupposition triggers and their linguistic functions.
- Application of semantic theory to selected passages from the novel.
- Investigation of the emotional impact of presupposition on the reader.
- Evaluation of the author's stylistic preference for presupposition over entailment.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.2 What is Presupposition
At first, it is to be stated that the sign >> introduces a presupposition.
Patrick Griffith characterizes ‘presupposition’ as “the shared background assumptions that are taken for granted when we communicate” (Griffith 2006: 143).
‘Presupposition’ is an often used phenomenon in communication and to which extend it is used depends on how much knowledge concerning the theme the speaker assumes the listener has. In other words, ‘presuppositions’ are information assumed by the speaker to be already known by the listener.
It is an important device for distributing given and new information in discourse. It is almost impossible to define everything every time we speak, but the degree of explicitness will vary from situation, and depend on the knowledge that speakers and hearers will assume of each other (Mazid 2007: 355-356).
In addition it is to say that “presuppositions help the writer/speaker avoid redundancy and also establish a common ground, or a conceptual framework that has to be accepted by the audience. Presuppositions are not only about knowledge, but also about “expectations, desires, interests, claims, attitudes towards the world“ (Caffi 1993: 203)
Hence, a ‘presupposition’ is a “proposition or inference whose truth is taken for granted in the utterance of a sentence“ (Huang 2007: 65).
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's focus on semantic theories in the novel Warm Bodies and details the planned structure of the analysis.
2. Analysis of usage and effect of presupposition and entailment in Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies: This chapter provides the theoretical framework for truth, presupposition, and entailment before applying these concepts to examine specific excerpts from the novel.
2.1 Introduction to the semantic theories used for the analysis: This section defines the foundational linguistic terms, including truth conditions, truth values, and the various triggers for presupposition and entailment.
2.1.1 What is truth: This section explores the relationship between propositions and truth conditions, referencing Aristotle and Tarski to explain how sentences are evaluated.
2.1.2 What is Presupposition: This section defines presupposition as shared background knowledge and provides a comprehensive list of lexical and structural triggers.
2.1.3 What is entailment: This section examines the truth-based definition of entailment and its property of being non-defeasible, illustrated with hyponymy.
2.2 Analysis of the novel Warm Bodies: This section analyzes selected passages from the novel to demonstrate how presuppositions function in the narrative.
3. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the findings, noting that the author uses presuppositions to create emotional resonance and reader identification with the characters.
Keywords
Semantics, Presupposition, Entailment, Truth conditions, Linguistics, Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies, Pragmatics, Lexical triggers, Narrative analysis, Emotional effect, Presupposition triggers, Literary semantics, Cognitive factives, Human identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on investigating the usage and effects of the semantic theories of 'presupposition' and 'entailment' within the fictional context of Isaac Marion's novel Warm Bodies.
What are the core semantic topics covered in the theoretical part?
The core topics include the definition of truth values and truth conditions, the characterization of presupposition as shared background assumptions, and the explanation of entailment as a truth-guaranteeing sentence relation.
What is the central research question or goal?
The goal is to determine how the specific use of semantic linguistic devices influences the reader's emotional connection to the zombie protagonist and how these tools shape the narrative.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper employs a linguistic analysis method, applying established semantic theories (by authors such as Huang, Saeed, and Griffith) to specific excerpts from the literary text.
What content is addressed in the main body?
The main body is divided into a theoretical section defining semantic tools and an analytical section that applies these tools to the novel to show how the author creates meaning and empathy.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Semantics, Presupposition, Entailment, Pragmatics, Literary analysis, and Linguistic triggers.
Why is the concept of 'constancy under negation' significant for this study?
It is significant because it serves as a diagnostic tool to verify the presence of a presupposition, proving that the background assumption remains valid even when the sentence is negated.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the use of entailment in the novel?
The author concludes that Marion rarely uses entailments in the novel, opting instead to rely heavily on presuppositions to deepen the emotional impact on the reader.
How does the author of the novel use presupposition to impact the reader?
By using presuppositions, Marion forces the reader to accept certain background information about the characters' past human lives, which in turn fosters sympathy and identification with the zombies.
- Quote paper
- Ann-Kathrin Beckenbauer (Author), 2015, An Analysis of the Usage and Effect of Presupposition and Entailment in Isaac Marion’s Novel "Warm Bodies", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/313288
