Specialized Interrogative Speech Acts from the Perspective of Sociolinguistic Stratification (in Terms of Social Status) in Nguyen Huy Thiep's Short Stories

The study surveyed and compiled a total of 179 specialized interrogative speech acts in Nguyễn Huy Thiệp’s short stories from the perspective of social status, focusing on three communicative roles: higher, lower, and equal status. The findings reveal that interlocutors of equal status exhibited the highest frequency of questioning, reflecting equality in dialogue. Higher-status speakers often used brief questions with a directive or controlling function. In contrast, lower-status speakers asked questions with caution and politeness, reflecting their weaker position. The interrogative structures were also closely tied to communicative roles and the social relationships among characters. Thus, questioning functions not only as a means of seeking information but also as a tool for asserting power and status, while simultaneously reflecting social conflicts through multilayered relationships. This, in turn, highlights the author’s sharpness in constructing both the stratification of characters and the social structure in literature.