ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF WORDPLAY IN THE MODERN LITERARY DISCOURSE

Abstract

The present article studies the complex phenomenon of wordplay in English-language literary discourse. The objective of the study is a comprehensive analysis of the techniques and methods of creating wordplay in the text of the contemporary novel to identify its key functions and characteristics. The language material for the research is taken from the Ali Hazelwood’s novel “The Love Hypothesis”. The choice of the illustrative material is due to its value in the modern literary culture. The analysis revealed that wordplay is widely present in the contemporary English novel. The most common tools of wordplay in the text are lexical-semantic methods of creating wordplay, as well as wordplay based on repetition. The main functions performed within the chosen type of discourse are emotional-expressive, characterological, and hedonistic, allowing for the development of characters and the conveyance of their emotions. The article can be used in further studies of the language of modern prose as well as the research in the field of wordplay.