Patente de corso y La zona fantasma: estrategias argumentativas y (des)cortesía instrumental

This study deals with the pragmatic-linguistic strategies used by enunciators (or enunciators-locutors), Javier Marías (La zona fantasma) and Arturo Pérez Reverte (Patente de corso). After a brief introduction on argumentative discourse and the opinion columns, the role of the enunciator and their attitude toward the direct and indirect addressee is analysed in detail. More precisely, the article will demonstrate how elements, including mode; neologisms; imperative; interrogative sentences and also the ‘instrumental (im)politeness’ (or ironic tone) support persuasive objective that this kind of discourse pursues.