A Sociolinguistic Study of Language And Identity In ABC’s Lost

Abstract

The present study examines the complex interplay between language and identity by conducting a sociolinguistic study of the television series LOST (2004-2010). Specifically, in the first season this study examines the ways in which language not only discloses characters’ ethnic and social backgrounds and statuses, but also actively constructs and molds these identities, and thus interpersonal dynamics within the nascent island society. The main argument is that sociolinguistic markers, specifically language variation, code-switching, and language attitudes, play a major role in the development of the characters and the narrative of the show. The research also fills a gap in the existing matters, which has not applied sociolinguistic frameworks to ensemble-based television dramas, particularly those with multicultural casts in crisis. Although language variation, code-switching, and language attitudes have been explored in previous research on real-world communities, this dissertation explores the ways in which LOST, as a fictional narrative, reflects and refracts these real-world sociolinguistic phenomena. Using a qualitative approach, the study closely examines specific scenes of LOST Season 1 that contain language variation (accents, dialects, and register), code-switching, and explicit or implicit language attitudes. Transcriptions of dialogue are analyzed using a sociolinguistic framework to understand how language use relates to identity formation, power relations, and social hierarchies among the survivor group. Jack, Locke, and Kate are analyzed as case studies of how the speech of key characters in the series impacts their social positioning and the series as a whole. The analysis shows language in LOST to be a fluid mechanism of inclusion and exclusion, through which alliances are formed, leadership is claimed, and group membership is marked. Through the characters’ responses to and acceptance of linguistic variation in a high-stress situation, the series offers a nuanced and layered representation of the relationship between language, identity, and social power. The analysis shows that LOST does not use language as a neutral medium for the transmission of information, but rather as a performative force that constructs characters and social relations on the island. Finally, this study makes a unique contribution in that it shows the importance of using sociolinguistic methods to the study of media narratives. It demonstrates how a fictional television drama can be a microcosm of actual sociolinguistic processes, and it shows the centrality of language in identity construction and negotiation, especially in a multi-ethnic community in a time of crisis. These findings should remind us that in trying to understand media narratives we must also consider the sociolinguistic forces at work, and that while we may feel “lost in language,” it is also language that allows us to find ourselves and to relate to others.