Abstract
This study is a stylistic analysis of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie?s novel
Half Of A Yellow Sun, which comprises four parts with a total number
of 37 chapters and 433 pages. The aim of this study is to identify the
predominant stylistic devices used by the author in the novel and the
effects achieved by using them. To achieve this aim, the researcher
uses quantitative stylistic analysis which entails the counting and
writing down the number of times each device occurs in the selected
chapters of the novel. Review of related literature is also done. The
researcher chooses this study because Half Of A Yellow Sun is
Chimamanda?s second and most voluminous novel; it is also an
award winning novel and not much has been done on the stylistic
analysis of the novel. 24 chapters are selected out of the 37 chapters
and tables are used to represent the frequency of occurrence of the
predominant stylistic devices used in the novel. Random selection
sampling was used in parts two and fou
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Language is a tool or a code system used for human communication.
It is made up of sounds or graphic symbols, which users or speakers
have accepted to use as units of communication.
Language is a symbol system based on pure or
arbitrary conventions infinitely extendable and
modifiable according to the changing needs and
conditions of the speakers.
Robins (1985).
According to Lyons (1970) Languages are:
The principal systems of communication used by
particular groups of human beings within the
particular society (Linguistic community) of which
they are members.
The use of language is not restricted to only human beings but for
the purpose of this study, the researcher is concentrating on
language used by human beings. Language as a human property is
used to perform various functions in a society such as
communication, instruction and socialization, which is why its study is
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indispensable. Linguists over the years have studied languages and
have actually expanded the wings of language to various levels of
Linguistic analysis or description such as phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics and Discourse.
The graphic representation of sounds (speech sounds) on paper is
called writing. Writing is done in different ways for various purposes
and by different people. It is because of this that the study of
stylistics becomes necessary and an important area to both linguists
and critics.
According to Syal and Jindal (2010)
“Stylistics is that branch of linguistics which takes the language
of literary texts as its object of study”.
Stylistics is the study of various styles used in literary and non –
literary texts which distinguishes the uniqueness of a writer from
another.
Style is a pattern of linguistic features that distinguish a piece of
writing from another; it also distinguishes the personality of an
author from another. No wonder the French scholar Buffon said
“Style is the Man”.
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Syal and Jindal (2010) opined that:
Out of the many types of variations that occur in
language, it is the variation in literary style that is
most complex, and thus offers unlimited scope for
linguistic analysis. (61).
Stylistics is very important in Literature because each literary text
represents an individual?s use of language which reflects his unique
personality, thoughts and style.
The study of literary styles shows the linguistics repertoire of a
writer. We often hear of the style of Armah; the style of Milton and
the simplicity that is associated with Wordsworth.
Stylistics looks at the choice of words, the sentence patterns and
figurative usage of words by a writer. Figurative expressions which
are sometimes called “Rhetorical Expression” helps a writer to be
vivid in his description of events and ideas.
According to Ezugu:
Figures of speech, sometimes called “rhetorical”
figures are expressions, phrases or words used to
convey more than their ordinary literal meaning.
These figures, if properly used, not only enrich but
strengthen and give life to our writing.
Ezugu (2011)
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Some of the features used in a achieving style include:
– Diction, figurative usage and various sentence structures such
as:
– Parenthetical Expressions: These are words, clauses or even
another sentence inserted at the middle or end of a sentence
such as after thoughts.
– Compound Sentence: A compound sentence is one which
consists of three or more simple sentences joined together by a
co-ordinating conjunction or semi – colon.
– Complex Sentence: A complex sentence consists of two parts.
The main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
– Compound complex sentence: This consists of two or more
main clauses and one or more subordinate clause.
Other features of style include:
– Graphology: The analysis of hand writing to interpret character
and personality. Aspects of which are
”Italics, Bold sentence” and capitalization”.
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– Code Switching: A system of switching from one linguistic code
to another.
– Code – Mixing: A systematic way of mixing two or more
linguistics codes in an utterance or writing.
– Transliteration: This is the literal translation of the syntatical
structure of a language into another language1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Although many works have been done on stylistics, little work has
been done on style used in Chimamanda Adichie?s
Half of a yellow sun which was published in 2006. Most of the works
done were based on general analysis of how her works reflect the
realities of the society. To the knowledge of this researcher, no work
has been done on the stylistic analysis of the devices used in her
work, hence, the decision of the researcher to investigate the style of
the author in this her second widely acclaimed novel Half of A yellow
Sun.
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1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This study aims at an identification of the predominant stylistic
devices used in Chimamanda Adichie?s Half Of A Yellow Sun and the
effect these devices have in the over all evaluation of the novel.1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study will enable readers identify the predominant stylistic
devices used by Chimamanda Adichie in her novel Half Of A Yellow
Sun as well as the effect achieved by the use of these devices.
The study will, in addition, encourage writers to adopt the style of
Chimamanda Adichie in their writing.
Finally, it will provide material for researchers in this field.
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY
This investigation is limited to an analysis of the predominant stylistic
devices employed in Chimamanda Adichie?s novel Half Of A Yellow
Sun . The novel comprises four parts namely: PART ONE: The Early
Sixties; PART TWO: The Late Sixties; Part Three: The Early Sixties?
PART FOUR: The late sixties. These four parts are made up of a total
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number of the thirty seven (37) chapters but the researcher has
selected twenty four chapters for analysis.
The analysis is restricted to such stylistic devices as compound
sentences; compound complex sentences, italics, code – mixing,
parenthetical expression and transliteration which the researcher
encountered several times in the course of reading the novel.1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The method used in this investigation was intensive study of related
materials from the library and close textual analysis of the novel Half
Of A Yellow Sun using quantitative anaysis.
Quantitative analysis entails identifying counting and writing down
the frequency of occurrence of each of the identified stylistic devices
covered in the scope of study.
Furthermore out of the thirty seven chapters that make up the novel,
twenty four chapters are selected by random sampling. All the
chapters in parts one and part three respectively of the novel are
selected since they contain six chapters each but in part two and
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part four, six chapters are selected from each part by simple random
sampling since they contain more than six chapters each.
Part two contains twelve chapters while part four contains thirteen
chapters.