"Whispers Across Cultures: The Sociolinguistic Role of Gossip in Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies"

The study explores the sociolinguistic aspects of gossip in Liane Moriarty's (2014) novel, Big Little Lies, focusing on its narrative significance and wider social implications within modern Australian views. The study investigates various forms and functions of gossip by referencing insights from scholars such as Dell Hymes (1972), Robin Lakoff (1975), Deborah Jones (1980), and Eric K. Foster (2004). It demonstrates how gossip influences character development and fosters unity within social circles in both personal and social contexts, making it a crucial element in the progression of the story. Gossip is described as one of the most important mechanisms for establishing relationships and forming social hierarchies; it underscores the function of gossip, addressing both selective friendship and commonality in social interactions. Characters use gossip as a mechanism informing others but also one that nourishes common bonds and helps in the navigation of social life. Such contextualization of gossip redefined the power dynamics and psychological workings of gossip that sometimes becomes a uniting or dividing force among the characters in the narrative. The study argues that gossip is not only silly or bad but, rather, a powerful linguistic weapon that shapes relationships and leads the progress of the plot. Gossip plays a myriad of functions, rendering it a significant structure to approach the complexities of social interactions and character relationships evident in Big Little Lies. Such a study contributes to a perspective whereby one may acknowledge language and communication as instrumental in influencing both community standards and private affairs.