A Pragmatic Study of Sarcasm in Selected TV Shows

Abstract

Sarcasm as a linguistic strategy is a universal property of all languages which means it can be found in any language. However, this research proposes a pragmatic study of sarcasm in the English Language, American TV shows. Sarcasm could also be pragmatically defined by linking it to Grice's Maxims which means that the utterance is violating one of Grice's maxims to communicate something indirectly. This approach suggests that sarcasm is a vital notion in spoken and written language. It shows that the utterance is used to achieve another purpose that is not literal. The research paper contains five sections. Section one deals with the definition of sarcasm pragmatically. Section two shows sarcasm as a pragmatic notion or phenomenon. Section three discusses Grice's Maxims and how they are considered a model that speakers should follow for successful communication. Section four talks about the types of violations of the maxims. Section five tackles how the utterances from a TV show under investigation are violating the maxims to carry out the indirect meaning. The research closes off with the conclusion reached which is followed by the bibliography.