THE ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL QUESTIONS AND THEIR PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS IN “ALMOST HEAVEN” BY JUDITH McNAUGHT
Keywords:
Rhetorical questions, pragmatics, narrative analysis, character psychology, Judith McNaught, Almost Heaven, stylistics, discourse functionsAbstract
This study explores the use and pragmatic functions of rhetorical questions in Judith McNaught’s novel Almost Heaven. Rhetorical questions, a powerful linguistic device, serve multiple communicative purposes, such as emphasizing emotions, expressing irony, influencing the reader, and developing character psychology. Through a qualitative analysis of selected excerpts from the novel, this paper investigates how rhetorical questions contribute to narrative dynamics and character interactions. The findings reveal that these structures enhance the expressive quality of dialogues and facilitate deeper engagement with the characters’ inner thoughts and emotions
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