Connotative meaning and pragmatic interpretation in literary texts

Abstract

The article examines how connotative meaning develops in literary texts and how it relates to pragmatic interpretation. It aims to distinguish connotation from denotative content and implicature while proposing criteria for analysing literary language. Particular attention is paid to lexical choices, forms of address, repetition, irony, and silence as resources for expressing relationships between characters. The analysis uses constructed speech situations rather than quotations from literary works. Each example is examined through its literal content, immediate context, speaker position, and narrative perspective. Substitution and comparison of alternative readings illustrate how the same expression can perform different communicative functions. The discussion argues that emotional evaluation should be distinguished from intentions inferred from context. Reliable interpretation requires identifiable textual evidence, clear attribution of evaluations, and consideration of competing explanations. The article also considers classroom applications. Its conclusions remain theoretical and require further testing against literary passages and readers’ interpretations before broader claims about their applicability can be made.