Title: Contextual functions of predicated themes in written text : Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) as dialogue with apartheid South Africa
Source document: Brno studies in English. 2010, vol. 36, iss. 1, pp. [103]-121
Extent
[103]-121
-
ISSN0524-6881 (print)1805-0867 (online)
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/105080
Type: Article
Language
License: Not specified license
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
In this article we pay attention to the relations between a text and its social context: our text is the novel Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), written by the South African writer Alan Paton. Our contention is it was only in a novel that one could offer the sort of meanings that Paton was offering in that particular historical period, that context of culture. We make use of the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory of language for our purpose, a theory that makes explicit the relations between language systems and structures, and their use as resources for social interaction. Our study involves consideration of the SFL theoretical framework as a way into the examination of the use of predicated Themes and in terms of the relations of their use to aspects of the social context of the novel. We conclude that Paton's use of predicated Themes allows him to not only make the text a more coherent unit – a text – and to make a more authentic representation of character dialogue, but more importantly allows him to make a more interactive textual engagement with the reader.
References
[1] Alexander, Richard (2008) Framing Discourse on the Environment. A Critical Discourse Approach. London: Routledge.
[2] Baldry, Anthony and Paul Thibault (2006) Multimodal Transcription and Text Analysis. London: Equinox.
[3] Blommaert, Jan (2010) The Sociolinguistics of Globalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[4] Butt, David (2003a) Parameters of Context: on Establishing Similarities and Differences Between Social Processes. Manuscript. Sydney: Centre for Language in Social Life, Macquarie University.
[5] Butt, David (2003b) 'Investigating experience through grammar: from personal to cultural perspectives on the evolution of school knowledge'. In: Joyce, James (ed.) Grammar in the language classroom. Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, 1–40.
[6] Butt, David, Rhondda Fahey, Susan Spinks and Colin Yallop (2000) Using Functional Grammar: an Explorer's Guide. Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University.
[7] Collins, Peter (1991a) Cleft and Pseudo-cleft Constructions in English. London: Routledge.
[8] Collins, Peter (1991b) 'Pseudo-cleft and cleft constructions in English: A thematic and informational interpretation'. Linguistics 29, 481–519.
[9] Davies, Martin (1986) 'Literacy and Intonation'. In: Couture, Barbara (ed.) Functional Approaches to Writing: Research Perspectives. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex, 199–230.
[10] Davies, Martin (1994) '"I'm sorry, I'll read that again": Information structure in writing'. In: Čmejrková, Světla and František Štícha (eds.) The Syntax of Sentence and Text: A Festschrift for František Daneš. Amsterdam: John Benjamin, 75–89.
[11] Delin, Judy (1991) 'Towards a Model for Generating Cleft Sentences'. In: Verschueren, Jef (ed.) Pragmatics at Issue. Selected Papers of the International Pragmatics Conference. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamin, 113–132.
[12] Delin, Judy (1992) 'Why cleft? The Functions of Cleft Constructions in Discourse'. Dols, Frens (ed.) Pragmatic Grammar Components. Tilburg: Tilburg University Press, 69–92.
[13] Firth, John Rupert (1957) 'Personality and Language in Society'. Papers in Linguistics: 1934-1951. London: Oxford University Press, 177–189.
[14] Firth, John Rupert (1968) 'Linguistic Analysis as a Study of Meaning'. In: Palmer, Frank Robert (ed.) Selected Papers of J.R. Firth: 1952-59. London: Longman, 12–26.
[15] Gómez González, María de los Ángeles and Francisco Gonzálvez García (2005) 'On clefting in English and Spanish'. In: Butler, Christopher S., Gómez González, María de los Ángeles and Doval Suárez, Susana M. (eds.) The Dynamics of Language Use: Functional and Contrastive Perspectives. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 155–196.
[16] Halliday, M.A.K. (1961) 'Categories of the theory of grammar'. Word 17(3), 242–92.
[17] Halliday, M.A.K. (1967) Intonation and Grammar in British English. The Hague: Mouton.
[18] Halliday, M.A.K. (1973) Explorations in the Functions of Language. London: Arnold.
[19] Halliday, M.A.K. (1978) Language as Social Semiotic: the Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Arnold.
[20] Halliday, M.A.K. (1985) Spoken and Written Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[21] Halliday, M.A.K. (2002) 'Text as semantic choice in social contexts'. In: Webster, Jonathan (ed.) The Collected Works of M.A.K. Halliday. Vol. 2: Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse. London: Continuum, 23–81.
[22] Halliday, M.A.K. and Ruqaiya Hasan (1976) Cohesion in English London: Longman.
[23] Halliday, M.A.K. and Ruqaiya Hasan (1989 [1985]) Language, Context and Text: Aspects of Language in a Social-Semiotic Perspective. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[24] Halliday, Michael M.A.K. and William Greaves (2008) Intonation in the Grammar of English. London: Equinox.
[25] Halliday, M.A.K. and Christian Matthiessen (2004[1985]) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 3rd ed. London: Arnold.
[26] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1989[1985]) Linguistics, Language, and Verbal Art. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[27] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1996) 'What's going on: A dynamic view of context in language'. In: Cloran, Carmel, David Butt and Geoff Williams (eds.) Ways of Saying, Ways of Meaning: Selected Papers of Ruqaiya Hasan. London: Cassell, 106–121.
[28] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1999) 'Speaking with reference to context'. In: Ghadessy, Mohsan (ed.) Text and Context in Functional Linguistics: Systemic Perspectives. Amsterdam: Benjamin, 219–329.
[29] Hasan, Ruqaiya (2009) 'The place of context in a systemic functional model'. In: Halliday, M.A.K. and Jonathan Webster (eds.) Continuum Companion to Systemic Functional Linguistics. London: Continuum, 166–189.
[30] Johnstone, Barbara (2002) Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell.
[31] Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen (2001) Multimodal Discourse: the Modes and Media of Contemporary Communication. London: Arnold.
[32] Martin, James (1985) 'Process and text: Two aspects of human semiosis'. In: Benson, James and William Greaves (eds.) Systemic Perspectives on Discourse: Vol. 1: Selected Theoretical Papers from the 9th International Systemic Workshop. Norwood: Ablex, 248–274.
[33] Martin, James (1992) English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
[34] Martin, James R. (2009) 'Discourse studies'. In: Halliday, M.A.K. and Jonathan Webster (eds.) Continuum Companion to Systemic Functional Linguistics. London: Continuum, 154–165.
[35] Martin, James and David Rose (2007) Working with Discourse. 2nd ed. London: Continuum.
[36] Martínez Lirola, María (2002a) A Systemic Functional Study of the Main Processes of Thematization and Postponement in English in the Novels of the South African Writer Alan Paton. University of Jaén: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad.
[37] Martínez Lirola, María (2002b) 'Alan Paton y la defensa de los derechos humanos en la época del apartheid'. Cuadernos del CIDAF. 16(5), 1–15.
[38] Martínez Lirola, María (2007a) A Systemic Functional Approximation to the Use of Cleft Sentences and Reversed Pseudo-cleft Sentences in English in a Narrative Sample Written by the South African Writer Alan Paton. Working Papers. Department of English Studies. University of Alicante.
[39] Martínez Lirola, María (2007b) 'Towards a Functional Description of cleft and Reversed-pseudo Cleft Sentences in English in Alan Paton's Play Sponono'. Journal of Literary Theory and Cultural Studies (Licus) 2(2), 97–116.
[40] Martínez Lirola, María (2007c) 'Exploring the relationship between Paton's ideology and his context'. Journal of Literary Theory and Cultural Studies (Licus) 3(2), 101–112.
[41] Martínez Lirola, María (2008) 'Exploring Predicated Themes from a Systemic Functional Point of View in Alan Paton's Novels'. Journal of Literary Studies, 24(1), 101–128. | DOI 10.1080/02564710701789073
[42] Martínez Lirola, María (2009) Main Processes of Thematization and Postponement in English. Bern: Peter Lang.
[43] Martínez Lirola, María and Bradley Smith (2009) 'The predicated theme in Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country (1948): A resource for written text'. Text and Talk 29(1), 1–20. | DOI 10.1515/TEXT.2009.001
[44] Matthiessen, Christian (1995) Lexicogrammatical Cartography: English Systems. Tokyo: International Languages Sciences Publishers.
[45] New York Times review, from the back cover of Paton, Alan (2002) Cry, the Beloved Country. London: Vintage.
[46] O'Halloran, Kay (ed.) (2004) Multimodal Discourse Analysis: Systemic Functional Perspectives. London: Continuum.
[47] Paton, Alan (1948) Cry, the Beloved Country. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
[48] Teubert, Wolfgang (2010) Meaning, Discourse and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[49] Thiong'o, Ngugina (1995) 'The language of African literature'. In: Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin (eds.) The Post-colonial Studies Reader. London: Routledge, 285–290.
[2] Baldry, Anthony and Paul Thibault (2006) Multimodal Transcription and Text Analysis. London: Equinox.
[3] Blommaert, Jan (2010) The Sociolinguistics of Globalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[4] Butt, David (2003a) Parameters of Context: on Establishing Similarities and Differences Between Social Processes. Manuscript. Sydney: Centre for Language in Social Life, Macquarie University.
[5] Butt, David (2003b) 'Investigating experience through grammar: from personal to cultural perspectives on the evolution of school knowledge'. In: Joyce, James (ed.) Grammar in the language classroom. Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, 1–40.
[6] Butt, David, Rhondda Fahey, Susan Spinks and Colin Yallop (2000) Using Functional Grammar: an Explorer's Guide. Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University.
[7] Collins, Peter (1991a) Cleft and Pseudo-cleft Constructions in English. London: Routledge.
[8] Collins, Peter (1991b) 'Pseudo-cleft and cleft constructions in English: A thematic and informational interpretation'. Linguistics 29, 481–519.
[9] Davies, Martin (1986) 'Literacy and Intonation'. In: Couture, Barbara (ed.) Functional Approaches to Writing: Research Perspectives. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex, 199–230.
[10] Davies, Martin (1994) '"I'm sorry, I'll read that again": Information structure in writing'. In: Čmejrková, Světla and František Štícha (eds.) The Syntax of Sentence and Text: A Festschrift for František Daneš. Amsterdam: John Benjamin, 75–89.
[11] Delin, Judy (1991) 'Towards a Model for Generating Cleft Sentences'. In: Verschueren, Jef (ed.) Pragmatics at Issue. Selected Papers of the International Pragmatics Conference. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamin, 113–132.
[12] Delin, Judy (1992) 'Why cleft? The Functions of Cleft Constructions in Discourse'. Dols, Frens (ed.) Pragmatic Grammar Components. Tilburg: Tilburg University Press, 69–92.
[13] Firth, John Rupert (1957) 'Personality and Language in Society'. Papers in Linguistics: 1934-1951. London: Oxford University Press, 177–189.
[14] Firth, John Rupert (1968) 'Linguistic Analysis as a Study of Meaning'. In: Palmer, Frank Robert (ed.) Selected Papers of J.R. Firth: 1952-59. London: Longman, 12–26.
[15] Gómez González, María de los Ángeles and Francisco Gonzálvez García (2005) 'On clefting in English and Spanish'. In: Butler, Christopher S., Gómez González, María de los Ángeles and Doval Suárez, Susana M. (eds.) The Dynamics of Language Use: Functional and Contrastive Perspectives. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 155–196.
[16] Halliday, M.A.K. (1961) 'Categories of the theory of grammar'. Word 17(3), 242–92.
[17] Halliday, M.A.K. (1967) Intonation and Grammar in British English. The Hague: Mouton.
[18] Halliday, M.A.K. (1973) Explorations in the Functions of Language. London: Arnold.
[19] Halliday, M.A.K. (1978) Language as Social Semiotic: the Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Arnold.
[20] Halliday, M.A.K. (1985) Spoken and Written Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[21] Halliday, M.A.K. (2002) 'Text as semantic choice in social contexts'. In: Webster, Jonathan (ed.) The Collected Works of M.A.K. Halliday. Vol. 2: Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse. London: Continuum, 23–81.
[22] Halliday, M.A.K. and Ruqaiya Hasan (1976) Cohesion in English London: Longman.
[23] Halliday, M.A.K. and Ruqaiya Hasan (1989 [1985]) Language, Context and Text: Aspects of Language in a Social-Semiotic Perspective. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[24] Halliday, Michael M.A.K. and William Greaves (2008) Intonation in the Grammar of English. London: Equinox.
[25] Halliday, M.A.K. and Christian Matthiessen (2004[1985]) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 3rd ed. London: Arnold.
[26] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1989[1985]) Linguistics, Language, and Verbal Art. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[27] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1996) 'What's going on: A dynamic view of context in language'. In: Cloran, Carmel, David Butt and Geoff Williams (eds.) Ways of Saying, Ways of Meaning: Selected Papers of Ruqaiya Hasan. London: Cassell, 106–121.
[28] Hasan, Ruqaiya (1999) 'Speaking with reference to context'. In: Ghadessy, Mohsan (ed.) Text and Context in Functional Linguistics: Systemic Perspectives. Amsterdam: Benjamin, 219–329.
[29] Hasan, Ruqaiya (2009) 'The place of context in a systemic functional model'. In: Halliday, M.A.K. and Jonathan Webster (eds.) Continuum Companion to Systemic Functional Linguistics. London: Continuum, 166–189.
[30] Johnstone, Barbara (2002) Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Blackwell.
[31] Kress, Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen (2001) Multimodal Discourse: the Modes and Media of Contemporary Communication. London: Arnold.
[32] Martin, James (1985) 'Process and text: Two aspects of human semiosis'. In: Benson, James and William Greaves (eds.) Systemic Perspectives on Discourse: Vol. 1: Selected Theoretical Papers from the 9th International Systemic Workshop. Norwood: Ablex, 248–274.
[33] Martin, James (1992) English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
[34] Martin, James R. (2009) 'Discourse studies'. In: Halliday, M.A.K. and Jonathan Webster (eds.) Continuum Companion to Systemic Functional Linguistics. London: Continuum, 154–165.
[35] Martin, James and David Rose (2007) Working with Discourse. 2nd ed. London: Continuum.
[36] Martínez Lirola, María (2002a) A Systemic Functional Study of the Main Processes of Thematization and Postponement in English in the Novels of the South African Writer Alan Paton. University of Jaén: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad.
[37] Martínez Lirola, María (2002b) 'Alan Paton y la defensa de los derechos humanos en la época del apartheid'. Cuadernos del CIDAF. 16(5), 1–15.
[38] Martínez Lirola, María (2007a) A Systemic Functional Approximation to the Use of Cleft Sentences and Reversed Pseudo-cleft Sentences in English in a Narrative Sample Written by the South African Writer Alan Paton. Working Papers. Department of English Studies. University of Alicante.
[39] Martínez Lirola, María (2007b) 'Towards a Functional Description of cleft and Reversed-pseudo Cleft Sentences in English in Alan Paton's Play Sponono'. Journal of Literary Theory and Cultural Studies (Licus) 2(2), 97–116.
[40] Martínez Lirola, María (2007c) 'Exploring the relationship between Paton's ideology and his context'. Journal of Literary Theory and Cultural Studies (Licus) 3(2), 101–112.
[41] Martínez Lirola, María (2008) 'Exploring Predicated Themes from a Systemic Functional Point of View in Alan Paton's Novels'. Journal of Literary Studies, 24(1), 101–128. | DOI 10.1080/02564710701789073
[42] Martínez Lirola, María (2009) Main Processes of Thematization and Postponement in English. Bern: Peter Lang.
[43] Martínez Lirola, María and Bradley Smith (2009) 'The predicated theme in Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country (1948): A resource for written text'. Text and Talk 29(1), 1–20. | DOI 10.1515/TEXT.2009.001
[44] Matthiessen, Christian (1995) Lexicogrammatical Cartography: English Systems. Tokyo: International Languages Sciences Publishers.
[45] New York Times review, from the back cover of Paton, Alan (2002) Cry, the Beloved Country. London: Vintage.
[46] O'Halloran, Kay (ed.) (2004) Multimodal Discourse Analysis: Systemic Functional Perspectives. London: Continuum.
[47] Paton, Alan (1948) Cry, the Beloved Country. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
[48] Teubert, Wolfgang (2010) Meaning, Discourse and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[49] Thiong'o, Ngugina (1995) 'The language of African literature'. In: Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin (eds.) The Post-colonial Studies Reader. London: Routledge, 285–290.