Reassessing Saussure and Jakobson in the Area of Applied Stylistics

Abstract

There are various branches of literary analysis like hermeneutics, known as the theory of interpretation, concerned with problems of understanding the meaning of the text, or stylistics which helps the reader reveal all the expressive aspects of language like phonology and prosody, morphology, syntax and lexicology. Moreover, some genres of English literature hide meaning in themselves and make it indispensable to have some expert opinion to explain it further. Applying the stylistics approach to literary text teaches the students that the language of literature is an independent kind of discourse, and the writers can use language differently. So when we analyze the literary text based on its language, we also train our students to build their knowledge of different registers- the various ways language is used, the patterns in which particular diction is used etc. Students can also clearly see the registers used in a literary text and easily compare them with the registers of a non-literary text. Keeping in mind the importance of applied stylistics, the present paper explores the pedagogical significance of using stylistics in Indian classrooms. The second part of the paper reassesses the valuable contribution of two great giants of the tradition – Saussure and Jakobson.