Presupposition Triggers in the Descriptive and Narrative Tiers

This book is aimed at identifying the types meaning and functions of presupposition triggers employed in the descriptive and narrative tiers of some characters’ portrayal in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. To fulfill such aim the researcher adapts a model proposed by Li (2010) and Du (2012) based on the theory of presupposition put forward by Levinson (1983) and Yule (1996). Through the descriptive qualitative approach the data analysis shows that fifteen types of presupposition triggers out of the sixteen studied are found—verbs of judging are not employed—and the most frequently employed one is the possessive. The analysis also brings into light the descriptive narrative thematic and symbolic purposes of these triggers along with their different functions. The results detect Fitzgerald’s bias towards what his characters represent and reveal that presupposition triggers show to a greater extent Gatsby’s clinging to his aspirations and Daisy’s distance from his dream.