INDIRECT SPEECH ACTS AND THEIR STYLISTIC ROLE IN LITERARY COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The article explores the nature, classification, and stylistic role of indirect speech acts in literary communication. It highlights how indirectness functions not only as a pragmatic device for politeness or social mitigation but also as a stylistic means that enriches characterization, narrative voice, and reader engagement. Drawing on the theories of J.L. Austin, J.R. Searle, H.P. Grice, and modern pragmalinguistic scholars, the paper examines the pragmatic mechanisms underlying indirect speech acts and their contribution to the artistic and aesthetic qualities of fiction.