“Wherever we look, we see language constituting the world […], not just reflecting it. For instance, the words for colours make a reality, they don’t just name things which are ‘there’: the spectrum isn’t divided into seven primary colours; all the colours merge into one another.”
According to structural linguistics, by using language, we are not reflecting a given reality but are rather construing one. Systemic functional grammar, developed by M. A. K. Halliday, states just this construal feature of language as well: That language functions to make meanings (and not to only refer to the outside world). But furthermore elaborates on how a text makes those meanings. It focuses therefore on the functional description of language.
The basic assumption is that language use is always functional: “people do not ‘just talk’ or ‘just write’”2 but rather any use of language serves a specific purpose, namely to make meanings. The primary concern of systemic functional linguistics can therefore be summed up under the questions: “How is language structured for use?”3 How does it make meanings?
According to Halliday, language makes meanings on three different levels simultaneously: on the experiental level, because it represents experience, on the interpersonal level, because language is used to interact with each other and on the textual level, because we organize our message somehow.
This research paper will focus on the textual metafunction of language, which is the theory of the clause being organized as a message. The aim is to show that text itself construes the context by involving meaningful choices concerning what to put in thematic position and by means of cohesion. Thus, context is not only created through coherence, i.e. the outside knowledge of the text and the cultural context of it, but a huge part of the context can be gathered from the text itself. As Eggins states: “The choices realised in text are themselves the realization of contextual dimensions.”
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theory
2.1 The need for a functional grammar
2.2 The textual meaning of a clause
2.2.1 The Theme-Rheme system
2.2.2 Cohesion
3. Analysis
3.1 What gets to be Theme
3.2 choice of topical Theme
3.3 Markedness of Theme choices
3.4 Method of development
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
6. Appendix
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This research paper explores the textual metafunction of language within Mark Haddon's novel "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time," aiming to demonstrate how the protagonist's unique narrative perspective is constructed through specific linguistic choices.
- Application of systemic functional linguistics to literary analysis.
- Examination of the Theme-Rheme system as a tool for creating textual meaning.
- Analysis of cohesion patterns and their contribution to narrative focus.
- Linking grammatical structures to the representation of the protagonist's autistic condition.
Excerpt from the Book
3.
My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057.
Eight years ago, when I first met Siobhan, she showed me this picture
and I knew that it meant "sad," which is what I felt when I found the dead dog. Then she showed me this picture
and I knew that it meant "happy," like when I'm reading about the Apollo space missions, or when I am still awake at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. in the morning and I can walk up and down the street and pretend that I am the only person in the whole world. Then she drew some other pictures
but I was unable to say what these meant.
I got Siobhan to draw lots of these faces and then write down next to them exactly what they meant. I kept the piece of paper in my pocket and took it out when I didn't understand what someone was saying.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author introduces systemic functional linguistics and establishes the focus on the textual metafunction as a means to understand how texts construe context.
2. Theory: This section explains the necessity of functional grammar and details the core concepts of the Theme-Rheme system and cohesion mechanisms.
3. Analysis: The author applies the theoretical framework to Mark Haddon's novel, examining how thematic choices and cohesion patterns reflect the protagonist's perspective.
4. Conclusion: This final part summarizes that speakers construct the context of a text through meaningful choices in textual organization.
5. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources used to support the analysis of systemic functional linguistics.
6. Appendix: Provides the source material and specific narrative excerpts from the novel analyzed in the paper.
Keywords
Systemic functional linguistics, Textual metafunction, Theme-Rheme, Cohesion, Coherence, Narrative perspective, Christopher John Francis Boone, The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, Mark Haddon, Functional grammar, Lexico-grammar, Discourse analysis, Markedness, Method of development, Autism in literature
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how language functions to create meaning, specifically focusing on the textual metafunction in the novel "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
What are the primary thematic areas covered in the analysis?
The analysis covers the Theme-Rheme system, the concept of markedness, cohesion strategies, and patterns of thematic development.
What is the ultimate goal of the investigation?
The aim is to show how the textual choices made by the narrator, Christopher, reveal his unique, autistic perspective on the world through the construction of context.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The study utilizes M.A.K. Halliday's systemic functional linguistics, specifically focusing on the textual organization of clauses.
What content is discussed in the main analysis section?
The main analysis investigates the lack of interpersonal themes, the prevalence of structural themes like "and," the prominence of the personal pronoun "I," and specific thematic development patterns like zig-zag and multiple-theme structures.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include systemic functional linguistics, textual metafunction, Theme-Rheme, cohesion, and narrative perspective.
How does the narrator's specific condition influence the text's structure?
Christopher's autistic condition leads to a monotonous and highly detailed narrative style, characterized by a reliance on the first-person pronoun and repetitive thematic structures.
Why does the author consider the choice of "I" as the Theme significant?
The constant repetition of "I" as the topical Theme reflects a self-centered narrative perspective where the protagonist interprets all external events through his own personal experience.
What role do "textual themes" play in the novel according to the author?
The frequent use of structural themes like "and" contributes to the monotony of the text, creating a sense of frustration for the reader of this "murder mystery novel."
How is cohesion achieved within the narrative?
Cohesion is achieved through grammatical and lexical links, including theme re-iteration, zig-zag patterns, and multiple-theme patterns that give the text its specific focus.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Marieke Jochimsen (Autor:in), 2008, Coherence and the textual function in “The curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/148621
