CULTURAL AND PRAGMATIC SPECIFICITY OF NOUN PHRASES IN SISTER CARRIE

Abstract

This article examines the cultural and pragmatic specificity of noun phrases in Chapter V of Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. The study focuses on how noun phrases reflect American urban life, social hierarchy, and consumer culture at the turn of the 20th century. Using a qualitative and contextual analysis, the research identifies structurally and semantically significant noun phrases and interprets their pragmatic functions. The findings reveal that noun phrases function not only as grammatical units but also as carriers of cultural meaning and social identity.