A Pragma-Critical Analysis of Meta-Interactional Markers in Children’s Literature: A Comparative Study of Gricean Maxim Adherence in Perrault and Grimm

Abstract

This study critically examines the pragmatic functions of meta-interactional markers in children’s narratives through a Gricean pragma-critical framework. Focusing on Charles Perrault’s "Little Red Riding Hood" and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s "Little Red Cap," it investigates how these markers facilitate or impede effective communication, narrative engagement, and socio-cultural representation. As a pioneering cross-textual analysis, this research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to elucidate stylistic divergences: Grimm’s version predominantly employs directive markers aligned with instructional purposes, whereas Perrault’s narrative emphasizes expressive and rhetorical markers that underscore moral and aesthetic nuances. The findings demonstrate how authors strategically utilize pragmatic markers to serve pedagogical and socio-cultural functions, thereby extending Grice’s cooperative principles into the domain of literary pragmatics. This comparative approach advances understanding of how meta-interactional markers shape narrative coherence, moral interpretation, and intercultural literacy, offering valuable implications for both literary analysis and language education.