A Stylistic Study of Syntax and Trope in Adichie's Purple Hibiscus

Abstract

Syntax is a major unit of language; and that of a text inclusive. Trope, on the other hand, is one of the distinguishing features of literary language, especially that of prose. To study syntax and trope of a prose work, therefore, is to examine its language. This work investigates the style of the language of Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus with particular reference to syntax and trope routing its findings through the Systemic Functional Theory mainly. Adichie’s perception and experiences of her world in the text are examined through the syntactic resources of transitivity exemplifying with sample passages from the text. Through this medium, the different themes of the text are interpreted and meanings are thus conveyed.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Certificationiii

Approval Page iv

Dedication  v

Acknowledgements vi

Table of Contentsviii

Abstract xii

Chapter One:

1.0.Introduction 1

1.1. Background to the Study 1

1.2. Research Problems/Questions 4

1.3.  Research Objectives 4

1.4.  Justification for the Study 5

1.5. Scope of the Study 5

1.6.  Research Methodology 6

1.7.  Theoretical/Conceptual framework 7

1.8.  Operational Definition of Terms 8

Chapter Two:

2.0. Literature Review 11

2.1.  The Concept of Style and Stylistics 11

2.1.1.Style  12

2.1.2.From Style to Stylistics 13

2.1.3.The Nature of Stylistics 18

2.1.3.1.Style as Individuality 18

2.1.3.2.Style as Choice 19

2.1.3.3.Style as Context 21

2.1.3.4.Monism versus Dualism to Pluralism 22

2.1.3.5.Style as Deviation 25

2.1.4.The Goal of Stylistics 26

2.1.5.Types of Stylistics 27

2.1.5.1.Reader-Response Stylistics 28

2.1.5.2.Affective Stylistics 29

2.1.5.3.Pedagogical Stylistics 30

2.1.5.4.Literary Stylistics 30

2.1.5.5.Linguistic Stylistics 31

2.1.6.The Usefulness of Stylistics 35

2.1.6.1.Establishment of Authorship 36

2.1.6.2.Pedagogy 36

2.1.6.3.Import to Law 36

2.1.6.4.Entertainment 37

2.2.  Syntax 37

2.2.1.Origin and Definition 37

2.2.2.Stylistics and Syntactic Analysis 39

2.2.2.1.Levels of Syntactic Analysis 39

2.3.  Trope  44

2.3.1.Origin 44

2.3.2.Meaning 45

2.4.  Systemic Functional Theory (SFT) 46

2.5.  The Concept of Foregrounding 51

2.6.  Stylistic Analysis of Some Texts and Adichie’s Works 53

2.6.1.Language, Style and Ideology in Ben Okri’s Fiction 54

2.6.2.A Stylistic Study of Metaphors in Chinua Achebe’s

Things Fall Apart 55

2.6.3.Niyi Osundare as a Master Metaphorist: A Case

 Study of Village Voices 56

2.6.4.The Issues of Accessibility: A Lexico-Semantic

 Reading of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun   56

2.6.5.Explicatures in Conversational Discourse 

in Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus 58

Chapter Three:

3.0.   Presentation and Analysis of Data (Syntax)  62

3.1. Presentation of Data 62

3.2.  Description of Data 71 

3.3.  Data Analysis and Discussion 73  

3.3.1.Transitivity and Processes in Purple Hibiscus 73 

3.3.2.Code Mixing/Switching, Transliteration and 

Englishnization in Purple Hibiscus 87

Chapter Four:

4.0. Presentation and Analysis of Data (Trope) 93

4.1. Presentation of Data 93

4.2.  Description of Data 95

4.3.  Data Analysis and Discussion95

Chapter Five:

5.0.  Conclusion 104

5.1.  Findings 105

5.2.  Significance of the Study 106

5.3.  Contribution to Scholarship 106

References 108

Appendix 115