A Socio-pragmatic Analysis of “Versailles Literature” from the Perspective of Dramaturgical Theory and Memetics

Abstract

Versailles Literature" is a popular online phenomenon on Chinese social networks that is in essence a type of humblebrag. The impression management techniques of "Versailles Literature" on Chinese social media are investigated in this study through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 150 authentic blogs collected from Sina Weibo. It finds that Chinese "Versailles Literature" impression management techniques include idealization, mystification, dramaturgical idealization, backstage preposition, and taste performance, and these strategies all appear in combination. Moreover, from the perspective of dramaturgical and memetic theories, this study also discusses the generation and evolution of "Versailles Literature" as a strong linguistic meme and Chinese netizens' motivations to deploy such a social practice by using hashtags #VersaillesLiterature, #VersaillesResearchandPractices, and #MasterofReverseVersaillesLiterature. The findings suggest that "Versailles Literature" is a type of powerful linguistic meme that belongs to the third type of memetic phenotype and has the properties of copying-fidelity and fecundity, making it simple to identify and duplicate. With this sarcastic "Versailles Style" trend, individuals are able to conduct value introspection and realize their value which is not equivalent to the commercial value, thus deconstructing the ideology of the commodification of self in this materialistic and commodified society.