POLITENESS PRINCIPLES OF CONVERSATION AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT: AN EXAMPLE OF CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS

Abstract

One of the major functions of language is its social or phatic function in establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Politeness principles are important tools in language use because it reduces frictions, avoid conflicts and ensure a harmonious living among members of a speech community.  It can be shown through various speech acts such as offers, invitations, requests, compliments and so on.  This study investigates how politeness principles are employed in the regulation of discourse in a literary text.  It also evaluates the applicability of this principle to regulate spoken discourse as excerpts from the textbook purple Hibiscus were collated and analysed based on Geoffery Leech (1983) Brown and Levison’s (1987) politeness maxims.  This study reveals that in a literary discourse politeness maxims can be applied to keep the conversational ball rolling and its applicability varies from culture to culture.  It also shows that politeness could be deduced from linguistic and paralinguistic attributes of the text which should be employed in this our dispensation for a conflict free living in a nation that desires change.