Purpose:
An author might utilize the term “jargon” in order to make their typical writing sound more profound and intriguing. It adds a certain mystery to the literature and makes the reader feel included in regards to understanding the slang or jargon. Depending on the situation, authors may find jargon helpful in immersing the readers in the setting, such as using medical jargon if the story takes place in a hospital; it is efficient in setting the placement for the story. Another example for the purpose is if a book was centered around ballerinas and one mentions the term “adage”, this is a term used to describe a movement in ballet. Dance jargon was incorporated to allow the reader to be immersed in the culture of the story. Another use of the device is when a knowledgeable author is targeting an audience of the same caliber and is capable of using the jargon of the subject. The jargon allows for the topic to be discussed with more specificity.
Steps for Analysis:
In order for one to decipher the purpose of jargon…
the grammar and placement of the sentence should be evaluated.
Examine what part of speech the jargon is.
The topic of conversation shall also be examined.
Then, the setting of the book should be identified along with the specific situation in which the jargon was found.
Ponder who the targeted audience is and what is the background of the author.
Examine the individual who used the jargon, and who this person is in terms of occupation, character, and hobbies.
The next step shall be identifying who the individual was talking to in the context of the jargon.
Examine possible similarities between the people communicating and look for instances where slang related to a group would be found in terms of shared interests.
This will allow for the unpacking of the device as it will begin to expose the meaning and purpose of the jargon in context.
Nonfiction Prose Example:
The New England Journal of Medicine:
Updated Health Warnings for Alcohol
Example 1: “ Since that time, alcohol has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a group 1 carcinogen”
Example 2: “Yet according to the CDC, two thirds of U.S. adults report drinking alcohol.”
Example 3: “Similar benefits have been documented in longitudinal studies examining smoking behaviors after countries implemented well-designed cigarette-package warning labels and in quasi-experiments evaluating grocery purchases after implementation of prominent front-of-package warning labels for unhealthy foods and beverages.”
Grummon, Anna H., and Marissa G. Hall. “Updated Health Warnings for Alcohol — Informing Consumers and Reducing Harm.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 387, no. 9, 2022, pp. 772–774., https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2206494.
In the examples above, the italicized words act as nouns. One may substitute in a more well known example to identify the part of speech. For example, “it is a class 1 hurricane”, hurricane is a noun in this sentence. The unpacking of the word can evolve by evaluating the topic at hand. The title of the article mentions health warnings for Alcohol and is located in the New England Journal of Medicine. Therefore, it is known that medical jargon is being used throughout this article. Example 1 sentence involves the topic of Cancer research. Example 2 mentions some type of respectable organization that is capable of reporting statistics on consumption of alcohol. Lastly, example 3 contains a form of experiments which are focused around labeling and purchasing of unhealthy products. So far, one can assume that the unknown jargon are medical terms involving harm and related to Cancer.
The setting of the literature is not as useful in a nonfiction prose. Rather evaluating the topic is more beneficial as previously completed. Jargon is usually specific terms within a particular profession. So it appears that the targeted audience are individuals within the medical field, who would understand the terms. The remaining targeted readers are most likely alcohol consumers who desire to be informed about the updated effects of the liquid. The authors are clearly knowledgeable and have phds according to the journal. The commonalities between the author and the readers are that they both are informed and are interested in health. The remaining parts of the process includes considering the factors previously mentioned and applying them while rereading the sentence containing the jargon. Collectively considering all of these factors, one can assume that the term, “carcinogen” in example 1, is medical jargon specifically relating the dangerous effects of Cancer and how alcohol contributes to the hazard. Example 2, is a health agency who performs experiments for discovery of benefiting the public’s well-being. Example 3 mentions a term that encompasses scientific processes related to the article. One can unpack the device through the previously stated process including evaluating the audience, author, commonalities, and topic.
Ava P.