Literary Genre and History : Questions from a Literary Pragmaticist for Socio-Semioticians / Roger D. Sell.

This article presents the difficulties literary pragmaticists have with literary genre, and asks to what extent linguists belonging to the Halliday tradition might be able to help. Literary pragmatists need a taxonomical apparatus that will apply to genres of all kinds, literary or otherwise. They also need to describe how different genres help people perceive and parcel things up, and how genres function within sociocultural contexts. It seems that Hallidayan linguists may well have something to suggest here, even if their genre thinking is not yet fully developed to their own satisfaction. Furthermore, literary pragmaticists need to talk about changes in genres and in their relation to context. Here it is not immediately clear whether Halliday linguists can help. The question is: Do Hallidayans, as a matter of either principle or convenient practice, confine themselves to a synchronic approach? (Contains 39 references.) (JL)

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