THE IDIOLECT OF CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN WRITERS IN THE REPRESENTATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DISCOURSE (BASED ON ILLARION PAVLIUK’S NOVEL «I SEE YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE DARK»)

Abstract

This article explores the linguistic tools through which law enforcement discourse is portrayed in Illarion Pavliuk’s novel I See You Are Interested in the Dark and examines their role in shaping the author’s unique idiolect. The study is relevant because sociolects and professionally marked language in contemporary Ukrainian literature remain underexplored, even though they play a crucial role in building character, conveying narrative tension, and expressing the psychological states of the characters. The material for the study includes excerpts of direct speech containing professional terms, jargon, colloquialisms, expressive language, and syntactic patterns typical of operational communication. Methodologically, the analysis combines stylistic, semantic-pragmatic, contextual, and discourse approaches, enabling a comprehensive look at characters’ speech in its social, functional, and psychological dimensions. The findings show that the law enforcement sociolect in Pavliuk’s novel operates as an integrated, multi-layered system. The mix of standardized official language with jargon, colloquial expressions, and expressive forms effectively models the professional environment, reflects internal hierarchies, power relations, and the characters’ psychological states. Syntactic and pragmatic features highlight the speed, efficiency, and dynamism of communication, while jargon and expressive language function as markers of social identity and emotional nuance. Moreover, the study highlights the socio-cultural significance of language: by capturing the details of professional and everyday interactions, Pavliuk conveys the specificity of law enforcement work and presents a vivid picture of contemporary Ukrainian professional life. The research sheds light on how professional sociolects are shaped in literary texts, offering new insights for stylistic studies of Ukrainian prose. In conclusion, Pavliuk’s idiolect demonstrates careful attention to linguistic detail, producing a convincing and authentic portrayal of contemporary law enforcement discourse.