A SOCIO-STYLISTIC INVESTIGATION OF SUNSET AT DAWN
Abstract
As one of the Nigerian civil war memoirs which discuss and mirror, poignantly, issues and events associated with the war, Chukwuemeka Ike’s Sunset at Dawn has not been much explored most especially from the perspective of socio-stylistics. Motivated by the paucity of works on the text in linguistic scholarship, this study therefore explores the socio-stylistic features of the text with particular attention to the influence of the socio-context of the war on the use of language in the text.All the instances and contexts of war in the text were sampled and subjected to content analysis using insights from the ethnographic theories and approaches to style. The study revealed that the socio-context of war in which the author found himself exerts a considerable influence on the use of language in the text. This study therefore argues that analysing Nigerian Civil War Memoirs (NCWM) using a socio-stylistic approach enhances a better understanding of the memoirs. It equally illuminates the discourse value of socio-stylistics and provides additional useful material for civil war discourse, most especially in Nigeria.
Full Text:
DOCReferences
Achebe, C.(1958)Things Fall Apart London:Heinneman Education Books Ltd.
Adejumo, A.(2013)“The Literary Artist as a Mediator: The Case of Nigerian Civil War Poetry” Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics Vol. 1.Pp. 97102.
Adegbite, W. (2000). “Pragmatics: Some Basic Principles and Procedures” in Babajide, A.O.(ed.) Studies in English Language Ibadan: Enicrownfit Publishers Pp. 60-80.
Ademoyega, A. (1981). Why We Struck: The Story of the First Military Coup Ibadan: Evans Brothers (Nigerian Publishers) Limited.
Adeyanju, D.S. (1998). A Comparative Sociolinguistic Analysis of the Form and Function ofTaboos in English and Yoruba. An unpublished Ph.D Thesis submitted to Modern European Languages Department, University of Ilorin.
Akingbe, N. (2012). “Creating the Past, and Still Counting the Losses: Evaluating Narrative of the Nigerian Civil War in BuchiEmecheta’sDESTINATION BIAFRA”Epiphany: Journal of Trandisciplinary Studies Vol. 5, No. 1.31-51.
Ayodabo, J. S. (2014). “Narrative Strategies and Chronotope of Violence in Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun”inAyodabo, Olatunde. and Butari, Nahum(eds.) Issues in Language and Linguistics: Perspectives from Nigeria Vol. 2 Ilorin: Haytee Press Pp. 141-153.
Amuta, C. (1988). “Literature of the Nigeria Civil War”. in Perspectives on
Nigerian Literature Yemi Ogunbiyi.( Ed.) Vol. I, Lagos: Guardian Books Ltd. 85 - 92.
Aristotle. (1959). The art of rhetoric. English translation by John Henry Freese. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Babajide, A.O. (2000). “Of Style and Stylistics” in Babajide, A.O. (ed.) Studies in English Language, Ibadan: Enicrownfit Publishers. 122 – 136.
Dittmar, N. (1976). Sociolinguistics: A Critical Survey Of the Theory and Application. London: Arnold.
Doron, R, S. (2011). “Forging a Nation while losing a Country: Igbo Nationalism, Ethnicity and Propaganda in the Nigerian Civil War 1968-1970: A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin
Etiowo, J. M. (2014). “Forms of War in Nigerian Literature” Studies in Literature and Language Vol. 8, No. 1, Pp.130-139.
Goodenough, W. (1957). “Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics” in Garvin, P.L. (ed.) Report Of the 7th Annual Language Study Washington DC, George Town University Press.
Greenbaum, S. (1999). An Introduction to English Grammar. London: Longman.
Gumperz, J.J. and Hymes, D. (eds.) (1986). Directions in Sociolinguistics: The Ethnography of Communication. Oxford: Basil Blackwell and New York: Holt Reinhart and Winston; 2nd edition.
Hunston, S. (1993). “Evaluation and Ideology in Scientific Writing”, in M.
Ghadessy (ed.), Register Analysis: Theory and Practice, London, Printers Publishers,
Ike, C. (2014). Sunset at Dawn Ibadan: University Press Plc.
Isidore, N.C. (2010). A Linguistic Stylistic Analysis of Chukwuemeka Ike’s Novels: A Ph.D Thesis Submitted to the Department of ENGLISH, Faculty of Arts ,University of Jos.
Isidore, C. N. (2012). “Lexical Choices and Expressions in Sunset at Dawn: A Stylolinguistic Dimension” AJELLS: Awka Journal of English Language and Literary Studies Volume 3 No. 1, Pp.94-109.
Johnson, A. (1980). “Sunset at Dawn: A Biafran on the Nigerian Civil War” African Literature Today.Vol. II. 1980. 149 - 160.
Laurea, Tesi di (2013). 'The danger of a single story' in Chimamanda N. Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun A PhD Thesis Submitted to UniversitàdegliStudi di Padova
Leech, G.N. (1985). ‘Stylistics’ in Van Dijk, T.E. (ed.) Discourse and Literature
Malmkjar, K. and Carter, R.A. (2002). “Stylistics” in Malmkjar, K. (ed.) The Linguistics Encyclopedia (2nded.) London: Routledge. Pp. 510-520.
Malinowski, B. (1923). “Supplement 1”, in Supplement to C.K. Ogden and I.A. Richard, The Meaning of Meaning Harcourt, Brace, and Co., Inc.,
Mbisike, R. C., (2005). “Some Basic Sociolinguistic Concepts”, in Olateju, M. and Oyeleye, L. (eds.), Perspectives on Language and Literature, Ife: O.A.U Press Ltd, Pp. 185-198.
Morve, R. K. (2014). “Representation of History in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2006)” Asian Journal of Humanity, Art and Literature, Vol. 1, No. 3. Pp.150-155.
Nwanne, W. Okafor (2014). Victimization During the Nigerian Civil War: A Focus on the Asaba Massacre, A Master Project in Victimology and Criminal Justice Submitted to Tilburg Law School, University of Tilburg.
Nwachukwu, C. O. and Nwachukwu, U. E. (2017). “Gender, the Nigerian Civil War and Hard Choices: Nihilism or Absurdism (?) in Isidore Okpewho’sThe Last Duty” Clear, 4 (2), Pp.7-13.
Nwadike, I.U. (1992). NtọalaAgụmagụ. Nigeria: Ifunanya Publications
Obi, E. I.andOkunrobo, B. D. (2015). Language, Gender and War Situation: “Her/story” in Nwapa’s and Adichie’s Stories, the Complement of “His/tory” An International Journal of Language, Literature and Gender Studies Vol. 4 (1), Serial No 9, Pp. 88-101.
Odebunmi, A. (2001b). The English Word and Meaning: an introductory text Ogbomoso: Critical Sphere.
Odebunmi A., Aladeyomi, S.A. and Olaniyan, K.K. (2004). A Stylosemantic Study of Osundare’s Alliteration in The Eye of the Earth, Africa: Journal of Contemporary Issues Vol. 2. No. 1 Pp. 105-116.
Okuyade, O. (2010). “The Re-articulation of Hope from Grief: Nigerian Civil War Poetry as Ledger” Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language) 4 (2), Pp.201-215.
Oladosu, A.G.A.S. (2003). “A Stylistic Analysis of The Quaranic Verse of the Throne” in Lawal, A. (ed.) Stylistics in Theory and Practice Ilorin: Paragon Books Pp. 217-230.
Oloruntoba-Oju, T. (1999). “Sociolinguistics: An Overview” in Adegbija E. (ed.) The English Language and Literature in English Unilorin: M.E. L. Department Pp. 122-142.
Olujide, T.M. (2002). “Stylistics and Poetry” in Babatunde, S.T. and Adeyanju, D.S. (eds.) Language, Meaning and Society Ilorin: Haytee Press Pp. 344-358.
Onyia, V. E. (2014). “The Dehumanizing Effects of War: A Study of Selected
Igbo Prose Fiction” A Research Project Submitted to Department of
Linguistics, Igbo and otherNigerian Languages, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Oriaku, R. (2005). “Private Voices, Public Concerns: Ethnic Rivalries and Notions of Nationhood in Nigerian Civil War Narratives” Ibadan Journal of English Studies Vol. Pp. 96-114.
Osunbade, A. (2013). “Gap-Filling and Meaning Recovery in Conversations in Adichie’s Halfof a Yellow Sun” in Marang: Journal of Language and Literature Vol. 23.Pp.43-58.
Roberts, W. Rhys. (2010). (Aristotle 1954 Translated). Aristotle’s rhetoric and poetics. New York: Random House Inc.
Pratt, W. (1969). The College Writer: Essay for Composition New York: Scrinbner Publisher.
Salawu, B. (2010). Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Nigeria: Causal, Analysis and Proposals for New Management Strategies European Journals of Social Sciences 13(3) Pp.346.
Stockwell, P. (2002). Sociolinguistics London: Routledge.
Szuba, M. (forthcoming) Re-examining the Past, Renegotiating Identities:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun.
Verdonk, P. (2002). Stylistics Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Widdowson, H.G. (1977). Stylistics and the Teaching of Literature, London: Longman.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.