FUNCTIONS OF RECIPIENT IN CARNIVAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article deals with the role of the recipient in the carnival discourse based on British folk play. The carnival discourse has been separated from the folklore discourse and defined as a symbolic and sacral type of speech activity which is constantly reconstructed basing on the cultural experience of the representatives of one and the same cultural group. It is characterized as dynamic, comic, and directed at discrediting accepted standards of the society. Carnival type of conscious is reflected in special features of the communicants being the bearers and translators of axiological knowledge. The discourse role of the communicants as the participants of a folklore communication depends on their age, gender, profession, etc.

British folk play is defined as an authentic dramatic work of British language and cultural community and assigned to the carnival discourse. The latter implies that the communicants being the subjects of speech activity are united into a hyper-subject, that is determined by the belonging of the members of folklore communication to the same language and cultural group and by the presence of common traditions and conceptual axiological sphere. However, the theatre-like way of British folk play performing suggests a clear distinction between the presenter and the recipient who take part in the formation of the variant of the folklore text only under the circumstances of an immediate contact.

The results of the analysis reveal the specific functions of the recipient in the process of British folk play performing. The function of the motivator is leading and determines the success or failure of the presentation of traditional piece of folk art. The recipient functioning as an assistant, censor or complementor is an active participant of the folklore communication. Sometimes their activity is congruent to that of the presenter which allows to characterize them as the hyper-subject of folklore communication. The role of the commentator is peculiar to the recipient in the space of the Internet that makes the communication disrupted in time dimension. Moreover, this role makes the recipient passive in terms of British folk play text formation.