Something will come of nothing: An empirical model of negation for prose literature

Summary

One manner in which a writer involves the reader with a text is through the use of negative language. The reader becomes involved on two levels: firstly at a linguistic level, a negative message needs extra time to decode, and secondly, at an emotional level, we must come to terms with the emotional response the negative message has incurred. Therefore, explicitly negative language engages linguistic, psychological and cognitive processes, which force the reader to become involved with the text in question, as he attempts to decipher the underlying propositions.

This study reviews previous research on negative language, both linguistic and psycholinguistic, defines explicit and broad negation and offers a method for measuring these forms of negation. This method is then applied to a representative corpus² of the early prose fiction of Mudrooroo, a prominent Australian author. The results obtained show that he has shifted in style across his early prose fiction, with respect to negation. By examining the use of negation in Mudrooroo's novels we will see how integral a part it plays in the interaction between reader and text. Negation can bring to the fore that which may not be and as a result may give “nothing” an actual substance. This article will show how explicit and broad negatives are simple, separable elements that engender complex cognitive effects, and that they provide us with a means for isolating and studying one aspect of how a writer may influence a reader's mind.

Een manier waarop ‘n skrywer die leser by ‘n teks betrek, is deur die gebruik van negatiewe taal. Die leser raak op twee vlakke betrokke: eerstens, op'n linguistiese vlak net ‘n negatiewe boodskap ekstra tyd nodig om gedekodeer te word, en tweedens, op ‘n emosionele vlak moet ‘n mens met die emosionele reaksie rekening hou wat die boodskap laat plaasvind het. Daarom betrek eksplisiet negatiewe taal linguistiewe, psigologiese en kognitiewe prosesse wat die leser dwing om by die teks onder bespreking betrokke te raak, in ‘n poging om die onderliggende proposisies te ontsyfer.

Hierdie studie gee ‘n oorsig van vorige navorsing oor negatiewe taal, sowel linguisties as psigolinguisties, definieer eksplisiete en wye ontkenning ("negation") en bied ‘n metode aan waarvolgens hierdie vorme van ontkenning gemeet kan word. Hierdie metode word dan toegepas op ‘n verteenwoordigende korpus van die vroeë fiksionele prosa van Mudrooroo, ‘n prominente Australiese skrywer. Die resultate wat verkry is, toon aan dat hy met betrekking tot ontkenning ‘n stylverskuiwing gemaak het in sy vroeë fiksionele prosa. Deur die gebruik van ontkenning in Mudrooroo se romans te ondersoek, sal ons sien hoe ‘n integrate rol dit speel in die wisselwerking tussen leser en teks. Ontkenning kan dit wat nie mag wees nie na vore bring en kan gevolglik aan “niks” ‘n daadwerklike substansie gee. Hierdie artikel sal aantoon hoe eksplisiete en wye negatiewe vorme eenvoudige, skeibare elemente is wat komplekse kognitiewe effekte laat ontstaan en dat hulle ons in staat stel om een aspek van hoe ‘n skrywer ‘n leser kan beïnvloed te isoleer en te bestudeer.

Keywords:

• Negation
• computational stylistics
• involvement
• Mudrooroo

Notes

1. This paper has been influenced by the work of Bartlett (1987), which originally motivated me to investigate the language of negation from a stylistic perspective. I am also very grateful to Dr Lisa Lena Opas, University of Joensuu, Dr Gerard Steen, University of Tilburg, Prof. Mick Short, University of Lancaster, and two anonymous reviewers for their sound advice on earlier drafts of this work.