Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)

Halliday divides the functions of language into three 'macro-functions' which he calls: Ideational function, expressing content, or the propositional content of the speaker's experiences of the real and inner world; Interpersonal function, which is the means whereby we achieve com...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: M. Nélia Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 1982-01-01
Series:Ilha do Desterro
Online Access:https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/9397
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850088635443970048
author M. Nélia Scott
author_facet M. Nélia Scott
author_sort M. Nélia Scott
collection DOAJ
description Halliday divides the functions of language into three 'macro-functions' which he calls: Ideational function, expressing content, or the propositional content of the speaker's experiences of the real and inner world; Interpersonal function, which is the means whereby we achieve communication, taking on speech roles viz-a-viz other people,00mplaining, narrating, enquiring, encouraging, etc.; and Textual function, which serves to connect discourse, weaving it together. Under this latter function comes the notion of cohesion. Phoric' elements are parts of the reference system needed for a text to be cohesive. We elucidate and refer to 'phoric' elements in more detail below. It is important to note that all these three macro-functions are present at the same time in a text. Halliday describes the choice of (sets of different) options the speaker makes in the language system, to express his experiences. 'All options are embedded in the language system: the system is a network of options, deriving from all the various functions of language' (1973:111) Thus a certain choice of (one set of different) options rather than another can be said to have been motivated by what the speaker (or writer) wanted to mean -- to convey or emphasize. Prominence of certain features in a text, then, stands out in a particular Way, suggesting or pressing the reader to take notice of it, this recognition contributing towards a more complete understanding of the writer's work. This is Halliday's intention in his study of The Inheritors (Halliday 1973:103-43).
format Article
id doaj-art-9c8d977df110482db51b82235ff9e546
institution DOAJ
issn 0101-4846
2175-8026
language English
publishDate 1982-01-01
publisher Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
record_format Article
series Ilha do Desterro
spelling doaj-art-9c8d977df110482db51b82235ff9e5462025-08-20T02:42:59ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaIlha do Desterro0101-48462175-80261982-01-0137Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)M. Nélia ScottHalliday divides the functions of language into three 'macro-functions' which he calls: Ideational function, expressing content, or the propositional content of the speaker's experiences of the real and inner world; Interpersonal function, which is the means whereby we achieve communication, taking on speech roles viz-a-viz other people,00mplaining, narrating, enquiring, encouraging, etc.; and Textual function, which serves to connect discourse, weaving it together. Under this latter function comes the notion of cohesion. Phoric' elements are parts of the reference system needed for a text to be cohesive. We elucidate and refer to 'phoric' elements in more detail below. It is important to note that all these three macro-functions are present at the same time in a text. Halliday describes the choice of (sets of different) options the speaker makes in the language system, to express his experiences. 'All options are embedded in the language system: the system is a network of options, deriving from all the various functions of language' (1973:111) Thus a certain choice of (one set of different) options rather than another can be said to have been motivated by what the speaker (or writer) wanted to mean -- to convey or emphasize. Prominence of certain features in a text, then, stands out in a particular Way, suggesting or pressing the reader to take notice of it, this recognition contributing towards a more complete understanding of the writer's work. This is Halliday's intention in his study of The Inheritors (Halliday 1973:103-43).https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/9397
spellingShingle M. Nélia Scott
Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
Ilha do Desterro
title Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
title_full Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
title_fullStr Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
title_full_unstemmed Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
title_short Linguistic features of literary theme: some halliday-type principles applied to 'surfacing' (margareth atwood 1972)
title_sort linguistic features of literary theme some halliday type principles applied to surfacing margareth atwood 1972
url https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/9397
work_keys_str_mv AT mneliascott linguisticfeaturesofliterarythemesomehallidaytypeprinciplesappliedtosurfacingmargarethatwood1972