Perlocutionary power of women’s communicative behaviour, the case of selected women characters in the Bible

The literature on gendered discourse in biblical stories is growing, although little attention has been given to the perlocutionary effects of the soft communication strategies of women, particularly the ways that acts of speech and body position impact male decision-making in patriarchal circumstances. This gap was filled by this study, which sought to determine the perlocutionary impact of women’s soft skills and how it influences men of authority, as husbands and rulers in the Old Testament. Through a qualitative textual case study design, six women (Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Rahab, Esther, and Abigail) were conveniently selected for their rich verbal and nonverbal interactions. The data was collected by documentary method and examined in the light of J.L. Austin and John Searle’s speech act theory, Judith Butler’s gender performativity, and Sara Mills’ feminist pragmatics. Results indicate that all six women used complex forms of soft skills (e.g. strategic politeness, indirect persuasion, or kinesic submission), yet combined them with Machiavellian moves and directives. These communicative interventions also influenced male decision-making, frequently diverting the historical and familial tide. The performances of speech are interpreted as undermining conventional androcentric readings and foregrounding the subversive agency inscribed in women’s speech and kinesics in biblical texts.