Author’s name:
Larisa M. Leonovich, Yuliya S. Starostina – Samara National Research University, Samara, Russia
Abstract:
The article examines the axiological specificity of the linguocultural type ‘political figure’ in English-language film discourse, drawing on the British and American versions of the television series House of Cards. The relevance of the study lies in the growing scholarly interest in the discursive representation of the value orientations involved in constructing the image of the politician in the English-speaking linguocultural space. The aim of the study is to identify the comprehensive axiological system underlying this linguocultural type and to determine the nationally specific features of its linguistic manifestation in British and American film discourse. The research adopts an integrative approach that combines the analytical frameworks of linguoaxiology and linguocultural studies. The integration of these two contemporary approaches underpins both the significance of the study and the originality of its findings. The analysis demonstrates that power constitutes the supreme value for the political characters embodying the linguocultural type in both versions of the series. Taking power as its axiological absolute, the value system of the linguocultural type ‘political figure’ is structured around three axiological oppositions: loyalty–betrayal, mercy–cruelty, and truth–falsehood. Each of these oppositions is realized in essentially the same way in both the British and American versions: the value publicly professed by a political character is consistently neutralized by the corresponding anti-value manifested in the character’s actions and informal speech. A particularly important role in revealing the axiological dimension of the linguocultural type is played by the cinematic device of breaking the fourth wall, which enables the protagonists to articulate their genuine value orientations directly to the audience. The study further demonstrates that the discourse representation of this axiological system is shaped by national characteristics: the British protagonist displays a tendency toward indirectness and formality of expression, whereas the American protagonist is characterized by greater directness and explicitness in evaluative judgments. The study concludes that the defining axiological characteristic of the linguocultural type ‘political figure,’ as represented in both versions of House of Cards, is the systematic duality of its value orien-tations grounded in the concept of ‘power,’ reflecting the inherent ambivalence and complexity of political activity.
| Section | LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
| DOI: | 10.47388/2072-3490/lunn2026-74-2-63-75 |
| Downloads | 7 |
| Key words | linguoaxiology; linguoculturology; linguocultural type; value; anti-value; cinematic discourse. |