Definición de un alineamiento estructural

Quoting directly or indirectly corresponds to a manifestation of projection, that is, “a logical-semantic relationship whereby a clause comes to function not as a direct representation of (non-linguistic) experience but as a representation of a (linguistic) representation” (Halliday, 2014, p. 508). Halliday distinguishes two levels of projection: locution and idea. On the one hand, locution is a paratactic construction in which there is a primary clause that initiates the projection and a secondary one that continues it (i.e. direct speech). On the other hand, an idea projects the content of what is spoken or thought (i.e. indirect speech) (2014, p. 509).

This grammatical realization is commonly found in newspapers and the analysis of the sample suggests that it is also important when attributing motives.

(17) EM_2011_08_octubre.txt

Una turba de encapuchados[WHOSE]_{, prácticamente,}

le "secuestró" el bus articulado(MA) _para(ML) _formar

la "mejor barricada"(M) _{(como los mismos}

violentistas la definieron) del primer día del paro [Student movement].

A mob of hooded demonstrators[WHOSE]_,

practically, “kidnapped” the aforementioned bus(MA) _to(PL)_{set up the “best barricade”}(M) _(as

the demonstrators themselves defined it) of the first day of strike. [Student movement].

The attribution of motive to hooded demonstrators by the report is carried out through the seeming re-contextualization of their words. According to these, the group of hooded demonstrators “secuestró” [kidnapped] a bus to build the “best barricade”. Both the meaningful action and the motive are realized by reporting the purported actual words of these actors, represented by the use of inverted commas. However, there are two

108 actually used by the demonstrators or if it was used as a stylistic option to emphasize the impact of this action (i.e. Quotation phenomena (q), see Semino & Short, 2004). Despite the use of inverted commas, the adverb practically still casts doubts on this apparent locution, accounting for a common trend in news reporting (Semino & Short, 2004, p. 154). On the other hand, the words are attributed to a group of demonstrators rather to one individualized actor. It seems that a statement by one or more members of this group was carefully selected in order to attribute to them a violent action or, conversely, to find a justification for their setting up of a barricade in the report10. Either way, the event is allegedly reported from the demonstrators’ voice, which seems to add legitimacy to the report. Both referential strategies (i.e. turba de encapuchados and violentistas) and the selection of partial quotes from their statement serve to negatively portray them, enhancing the crime narrative status of the reporting of the student movement in the traditional press.

In relation to direct speech, they tend to be full statements in which a particular actor gives her or his motive for a particular action. In the following example, Verónica provides three motive constructions:

(18) EC_2011_114_18August.txt

“[Yo][WHOSE] _Estoy(MA) _por(ML1.1) _{mis hijas y mis}

nietas(M1.1) _para(ML1.2) _{que puedan estudiar}(M1.2)_.

Antes no podía venir(MA2.1) _porque(ML2.1) _como

trabajo en la feria(M2.1)_{. Hoy pude aprovechando}

la lluvia(MA3.1) _para(ML3.1) _apoyar(M3.1)_{”. Verónica}

Loyola, feriante. [Student movement].].

“I[WHOSE] _am(MA1.1) _for(ML1.1) _{my daughters and}

my granddaughters(M1.1) _{so that}(ML1.2) _{they can}

study(M1.2)_{. Before I couldn’t come}(MA2.1)

because(ML2.1) _{I work in the farmer´s market}(M2.1)_.

Today I took advantage of the rain(MA3.1) _to(ML3.1)

support [the cause](M3.1)_{”. Verónica Loyola, a}

farmer’s market worker. [Student movement].

The excerpt starts with the representation of Verónica’s utterance that explains why she is present in the demonstration through three different motive constructions. The first motive construction makes reference to her love and concern for her children and grandchildren. In other words, her love for her children drives her to attend a

10 _{This is similar to the effect created in the editing process of news reports in which different images are}

juxtaposed while a narration attributes purposes to the recontextualization of the images (cf. Cárdenas & Pérez, 2017; Meinhof, 1994; Montgomery, 2007).

109 demonstration so that they could obtain something out of it. Thus, similar to the first example discussed in this chapter (i.e. chata [fed up]), emotions do have a legitimizing effect when justifying one’s actions. The second motive construction includes the reasons why she decided not to attend previous demonstrations. From this excerpt, we understand that motive is her wish not to lose her job. Finally, the third motive construction

highlights an ulterior motive for attending the demonstration, which is to show her support. The structures by which these motives are conveyed have been covered in the different sections. The novelty of this example is the fact that all these structures are embedded within the direct report of somebody else’s words. The inclusion of

demonstrator’s motives contrasts with mainstream reports on the subject, and having what are supposed to be the exact words adds objectivity to the report (Semino & Short, 2004).

Indirect speech can be used to report on the attribution of motives to other actors different from the ones being reported on:

(19) EC_2011_203_26Oct.txt

Con cinco meses de paralización de las clases muchos liceos y colegios que participan activamente del movimiento han denunciado diversos

amedrentamientos(MA)[WHOSE] _para(ML) _{finalizar las}

tomas y paros(M)_{. [Student movement].}

With five months of having no classes, several schools and high schools that actively participate in the movement have denounced various threats(MA) [WHOSE] _to(ML) _{end the occupations and protests}(M)_.

[Student movement].

In this excerpt, students are represented as denouncing harassment from their educational institutions trying to end the strikes and occupations of their educational facilities. The students’ attribution of motive is a narrative report of a speech act rather than included directly in the sentence as a way of contextualizing the educational conflict. The

orientation section at the beginning of this report (i.e. referring to five months of striking and occupations of (high) schools) aims at framing the context in which this alleged harassment is taking place so as to restrict the student movement’s actions.

There are other times in which the realization of direct and indirect speech is not as clear cut as the previous example suggests:

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(20) LT_2011_30_30August.txt

"He recibido el llamado de alcaldes, padres y apoderados[WHOSE]_{, que me han manifestado su}

preocupación de que sus hijos no pierdan el año escolar, y me han solicitado que ampliemos el plazo(MA) _para(ML) _{que puedan inscribir a sus hijos}

en el plan Salvemos el año escolar"(M)_{, explicó el}

ministro de Educación Felipe Bulnes. [Government coalition].

“I have received calls from mayors, parents and guardians[WHOSE]_{, who have manifested their concern}

about their children losing the school year, and they have asked me to extend the deadline(MA) _{so that} (ML)

they could enrol their children in the ‘Let us Save the School Year’ plan”(M) _{explained the Minister of}

Education, Felipe Bulnes. [Government coalition].

In (20), the then Minister of Education justifies his actions by attributing them to a request made by city mayors, and students’ parents and guardians. According to him, these actors approached him to extend the deadline of the ministry’s contingency plan to re-occupy the schools so that their children can register and avoid missing their academic year. However, even though his justification is directly represented in the report, the Minister’s statement contains an indirect speech construction (i.e. reporting on what parents and guardians had asked him to do). Attributing his motive to extend the registration of this remedial program to the parents and tutors of students currently occupying schools positions him as an open and reasonable Minister who aims to meet everyone’s needs. Hence, the government is motivated to help students, in contrast with the overall stubbornness the movement is usually attributed with in their representation in the mainstream media. Metonymically, this also applies to the government as the Minister is its visible face in the educational conflict.

All these examples show that the relationship between quoting and motive is not straightforward. In fact, oral realizations of motive can present different levels of

embedding that demand a more careful examination on how motive is actually conveyed and attributed (e.g. q phenomena, embedded indirect speech (eIS) Semino & Short, 2004). At this point, however, it is enough to say that, sometimes, motive constructions make more sense by considering the co-text before and after the sentence analysed. These instances are explored in the following section.

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