Abstract
The present study is aimed at an investigation of how meanings are construed in a literary text. The main theoretical framework employed for the data analysis was transitivity, which finds its roots in Halliday’s (1994) Systemic Functional Grammar. 21 texts from Hamid’s novel, Moth Smoke (MS) were selected as data. A sample size of 1100 complex clause sentences containing different processes, participants and circumstances was drawn for analysis. The focus of the study was the identification of transitivity patterns associated with the main characters of the novel following Simpson (2004) who viewed it “useful indicator of character in prose fiction” (p. 119). The findings of transitivity constructions showed that all types of processes were found in MS. Based on the rank of frequency, material processes were computed the most frequent processes. They did have frequency of occurrence as (1076=51.45%). The projection of mental processes was (13.91%) in the second position. The verbal processes were (11.23%), relational processes (19.75%) while the lowest projection was found in behavioural (2.63%) and existential (0.86%) processes. Male characters were ascribed with more material and verbal processes while females were drawn as having mental and attributive process clauses. The current study concluded that transitivity options can function as a useful analytical tool in the analysis of a literary text.
Highlights
The present study is carried out: i) to investigate how meanings are construed in a literary text, ii) to identify transitivity patterns associated with the main characters of Hamid’s novel, Moth Smoke (MS) and iii) to explore how the system of transitivity is employed by the author to convey his ideology to the readers
The main theoretical framework employed for the data analysis was transitivity, which finds its roots in Halliday’s (1994) Systemic Functional Grammar. 21 texts from Hamid’s novel, Moth Smoke (MS) were selected as data
The present study is carried out: i) to investigate how meanings are construed in a literary text, ii) to identify transitivity patterns associated with the main characters of Hamid’s novel, MS and iii) to explore how the system of transitivity is employed by the author to convey his ideology to the readers
Summary
The present study is carried out: i) to investigate how meanings are construed in a literary text, ii) to identify transitivity patterns associated with the main characters of Hamid’s novel, MS and iii) to explore how the system of transitivity is employed by the author to convey his ideology to the readers. It is concerned with the study of participants’ roles in the novel under study. It “exposes the social disparity in Pakistani urban society and comments on the unequal distribution of wealth as a means of shaping the lives of the people belonging to different strata of society” (Tariq, 2008, p. 107)
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