Expression The Discursive Strategies Employed in the Realization of the
73 Haller to use expression element as a discursive strategy is rhetorical question
element. The question delivered to Roulet is presented as follows. “Are you angry about being charged with attacking Ms. Campo?”
“Of course I am.”
“Why?” The first rhetorical question attempts
to highlight Roulet’s feeling as well as a code to make him express his anger. However, this time Roulet simply
answered it coldly. Therefore, Haller asserts his second rhetorical question “why?” This question is considered as a rhetorical question since it is not
merely a question to ask the reason why Roulet should angry with the charges against him. This question is also an inducement to make Roulet expresses his
sorrow in an expressive way. Therefore, he looks like a truly innocent man who suffers and waits weeks and month only to get his chance for justice.
However, this chance is hampered by the prosecutor who put a bunch of liars who help the real criminal to sue him. Worse, he has to listen to them who
humiliate him talking about his sex life in front of public. The strategy of expression disclosure aims to get the
juries’ sympathy and also as an attempt to make them feel what Roulet felt as an innocent
person who sets up by the real criminal who is considered as the victim. The goal of this at
tempt is to influence the juries’ assessment in making a decision of a not guilty verdict to Roulet.
74 2
Snitching for a prosecutor is Corliss’ occupation.
Context of situation:
In this situation, Haller attempts to emphasize negative attribute to Corliss dealing with the intensity he has been used by the state prosecutor as a
Jailhouse informant or a snitch.
Haller : How many times have you snitched on another inmate? Corliss :
I don’t know. A few times.
Haller : How many times have you testified in a court proceeding for the prosecution?
Corliss : Would that include my own cases? Haller : No, Mr. Corliss. For the prosecution. How many times have you
testified against a fellow inmate for the prosecution? Corliss : I think this is my fourth time.
Haller : I looked surprised and aghast, although I was neither. So you are a pro
, aren’t you? You could almost say your occupation is drug- addicted Jailhouse snitch.
Corliss : I just tell the truth. If people tell me things that are bad, then I feel
obligated to report it. CDA pg 298 35
In this continuing cross examination of Corliss, Haller emphasizes Corliss’ intensity for he has been becoming a Jailhouse snitch for prosecutors.
After Haller delivers a question dealing with Corl iss’ intensity of being a
snitch for prosecutors, he asserts expression of surprise or aghast as a sign as if he does not expects that he is facing a regular Jailhouse snitch who has
given his testimonies and his services to prosecutors for many times. This expression intends to bolster the negative other-representation of Corliss by
applying lexicon element in Haller’s allegation. He delivers his allegation by
applying rhetorical question containing lexical choice in order to draw a negative portrayal of C
orliss. It can be examined in Haller’s question as
75 follows. “So you are a pro, aren’t you? You could almost say your occupation
is drug-
addicted jailhouse snitch.”
The word “a pro” implies that Corliss is a professional snitch who discerns an activity of snitching his fellow inmate as a chance to get
commutation or other rewards from the prosecutor who uses his service. Furthermore, Haller describes Corliss by using diction such as “drug-addicted
Jailhouse snitch” in order to highlight negative impression of Corliss to the judge and juries. The use of this diction asserts that a drug addict is an
untruthful informant. Moreover, he repeats the diction “Jailhouse snitch”, where the word snitch is associated with a double face, opportunist, betrayer,
and also someone who trades lie for freedom. Therefore, by emphasizing this diction, Haller conveys that Corliss would certainly fabricate his testimony for
the sake of his own profit.