The fall of the mask by the unsaid in the linguistic discourse: Pacheco, according to the perlocutive act of Fradique Mendes

Abstract

The structure of a text directs its reading because it is a plot which threads are looped and forming a drawing. The letter To Mr. E. Mollinet, in the Correspondence of Fradique Mendes, by Eça de Queiroz (s/d), instigates the reader to look for theorists and theories. Our choice fell on Austin (1962) and Searle (1969). Their works, How to do things with words and Speech Acts, respectively, were the looks and the theory used to read the letter that enabled us to unmask it by the non-spoken language discourse, according to The Theory of Speech Acts. Austin's text consists of twelve readings that emphasize performative and constative verbs; the locutionary and perlocutionary acts present in ordinary language, grounded in analytical British philosophy. It seems to us to be the idea that language should be treated essentially as a source of action and not representation of reality. "I casually met Pacheco", is the source of Fradique Mendes' letter, answer to Mr. E. Mollinet. Thus the first traces of Pacheco's mask begin, so well-structured by the performative acts. According to Searle (1969, p. 16), "to take the text as a message is to take it as a text produced or issued."