Speakers’ subjective evaluation of adversity

Abstract

Adversative passives like Mandarin Chinese bei-passives are known to convey adversity, but what “adversity” means specifically for speakers of bei- in conversational discourse remains unknown. Whereas previous studies examine adversity within the bei- clause, this study uses the lens concept to investigate speakers’ subjective evaluations of the event attested by the larger context beyond the bei- clause. Using a subjectivity coding scheme and the discourse adjacent alternation method, I analyzed 4,203 values of event valence of 1,401 bei- utterances and 65 alternations in spontaneous talk show conversations. Results show that: (1) The same event that a speaker evaluates as “adverse” using bei- is sometimes evaluated as “non-adverse” using non-bei structures. (2) The same bei+verb phrase that previous studies may deem “adverse” can be evaluated as “adverse” or “positive” by actual speakers. (3) 84.5% (1,184/1,401) of the time, bei-passive in conversation expresses speakers’ evaluation that a causative event is adverse for the affectee, regardless of what reality is. (4) Adversity means undesirable, disadvantageous, morally or socially wrong, empathy-deserving, and/or sympathy-deserving for speakers of bei-. The findings indicate that the adversity that bei- conveys is not an objective description of reality but a subjective evaluation independent of reality–the Adversity lens. This study sheds light on subjectivity and specific manifestations of adversity in conversational discourse.