Persuasion in selected Sesotho drama texts

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined persuasion in selected drama texts from the literary period 1981 to2006. The selection was organised through the examination of two such texts in each of thefollowing three periods:• 1981–1989: Le ka nketsang and Mpowane• 1990–1999: Bana ba khomo tsa batho and Tsiketsing sa qomatsi• 2000–2006: Ha le fahloe habeli and Leholimo la phetloaSince persuasion is a relatively new topic in literature, particularly in African languages, thestudy examined the persuasion strategies used in the selected texts. These strategies eitherentail persuasion applied purely as an upfront aspect for changing the targets' attitudes,behaviours, beliefs or opinions or entail certain situations during which the persuaders, asliterary characters, employ another type (or types) of persuasion – coercion, manipulation orpropaganda – in order to change the targets.The main thrust of this thesis was the persuasive tactics or techniques that might be appliedby literary characters in an attempt to stimulate change in other literary characters. The studyalso examined whether additional persuasive interactions are employed to motivate changein others and whether counter-persuasive actions are employed to resist the proposedchange.Chapter One introduces the aspect of persuasion as propounded by persuasion practitionersand experts and gives the framework of the study as a whole. Chapter Two initiates theliterature review on the goals-plans-action (GPA) model as part of the psychological theorieson persuasive messages produced by various interactants. This model presupposes reasonsfor persuaders to create certain plans for achieving their goals. Chapter Three is concernedwith Le ka nketsang and Mpowane as the selected 1981 to 1989 drama texts. Chapter Fourconcentrates on Bana ba khomo tsa batho and Tsiketsing sa qomatsi from the 1990 to 1999literary period. Chapter Five deals with the literary period 2000 to 2006 and analyses the twodrama texts Ha le fahloe habeli and Leholimo la phetloa. Chapter Six draws a conclusionfrom the findings on persuasive strategies and makes observations, per chapter, on thepersuasive attempts from each literary period.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University