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Goffman came up with the theory of face work on the issue. The way inpiduals want to keep their self-image is to do face work. Face work is a mutual thing. It needs both the listener and the speaker’s mutual work. When the listener calls into questions the self image the speaker presents, the speaker will risk losing their face. In return, the listener will lose their face for putting the speaker into that situation. So the best way to solve this problem for the listener and the speaker is to protect face for each other. That is also why people try to use courteous expressions in social interaction.
2.1.2 Brown & Levinson’s Opinion on Face Perspective
In 1978, two English scholars, Brown and Levinson, published their famous Universals in Language Usage: Politeness Phenomena based on Goff man’s definition of face perspective. It talks about face management view. According to their research, they find among English, the native Mexican language, and the native Indian language, three totally different kinds of language backgrounds, using courteous expressions is universal. After some modifications, they published Politeness: Some Universals of Language Usage in 1987. The book talks about acts threatening face, discusses the differences between positive face and negative face, introduces politeness phenomena and face perspective to a point. They explain their politeness theory and present three concepts: Face, Face-Saving Theory and Face-threatening Acts.
According to Brown and Levinson, face is defined as public image inpiduals strive for when interacting with others. Through social interaction, inpiduals fight for their own public image which is demonstrated by the party to win over real social value.
As to the Face-saving Theory, Brown and Levinson assumes everyone who interacts with others is the Model Person. Simply put, everyone is an inpidual who has no trouble in socializing. They believe every model person is a reasonable person who has the need of face. And the face every social member wants is actually the public self-image he or she strives for in the public. It is pided into two categories: negative face and positive face. Negative face refers that inpiduals don’t like being forced, nor being interfered by others or sacrificing their own benefits to fawn on others. They want the freedom to be themselves. Positive face means the desire of being approved and praised by others( 63).
At the same time, Brown and Levinson believe that most of the speech acts are threatening face essentially. Sometimes, they may cause embarrassment. That’s why people use courteous language in social communications to reduce the rate of threatening face. So when talking to others, inpiduals have to protect both other people’s negative face and positive face. Face-Threatening Acts are classified by Brown and Levinson, including acts threatening listeners’ negative face and positive face and acts threatening speakers’ negative face and positive face. In the meantime, they came up with negative politeness strategy and positive politeness strategy correspondingly.
2.2 The Chinese Face Perspective
According to Hu Hsiechin, a Chinese anthropologist, face represents important social reputation which people gain through their continuous hard working and wisdom in their life experience. It is an important and typical social psychological phenomenon. Chinese have always been valuing face. From their point of view, face is so important, sometimes even as important as life (1944).
Chinese face is pided into two characters, one standing for honor and reputation and the other self-esteem and dignity. The two are something that Chinese people will pay at any price and at any time to protect.
Face can be thought as invisible face. Just like what Mr. Lin Yutang said “Chinese people’s face can be washed, shaved, lost, given, fought and saved.” No matter how rich or poor one person is, no matter in what social hierarchy one person is, they all need to protect their face (139).