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Language, ideology and control : a functional linguistic investigation into the language of literary criticism

This study uses the framework of systemic functional grammar to
conduct the stylistic investigation of extracts from two texts of
literary criticism written by F.R. Leavis and Paul de Man. The
aims of the study are:
i) to identify the characteristic features of the type of text
known as professional literary criticism, and interpret the
ideological significance of the textual features thus
identified;
ii) to identify the characteristic features of two specific
registers of literary criticism, liberal humanist criticism
and deconstruction, and interpret the relationship between
linguistic and ideological variation -as exemplified in the
texts which are analysed- and power.
The features which make systemic functional grammar a powerful
tool in stylistic analysis are identified, and a review of the
applications of systemic grammar to text analysis is presented. A
model of the relationship between text and context is presented,
and its key terms and their relationship (discourse, ideology,
genre, register, language) are discussed.
The analysis of extracts from literary critical texts is conducted
according to the three main features of the context of situation
as identified in systemic grammar: field (subject matter of the
discourse), tenor (participants in the discourse) and mode (medium
of the discourse).
Finally, the study considers the implications and applications of
the conclusions drawn, particularly those that relate to the
academic institution within which literary critical texts are
produced and read. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/16844
Date01 1900
CreatorsGeslin, Nicole Francoise
ContributorsHubbard, E. H. (Ernest Hilton), 1947-
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format1 online resource (318 leaves)

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