A functional stylistics study of selected Namibian short stories

Abstract

The current study sought to investigate characteristics of functional stylistics in chosen Namibian-authored texts. The study was motivated by a lack of functional stylistic studies on native Namibian written materials, particularly short stories. The study looked at three major areas of functional stylistics: the ideational, interpersonal, and textual functions of language. Six Namibian-authored works were chosen based on their compliance with the text selection criteria. The short stories are titled 1Mother of the Beast and 2The Matron (Schlettwein, 2012), 3Double Exposure and 4Domestic Relations (Morris, 2012), 5A Little Profit and 6The Magic Stone (Morris, 2012). One of the criterion for selection was that the short story be written by a Namibian. Texts that lacked linguistic literary merits that addressed the study objectives were excluded using the text exclusion criteria. This criterion suggested that all of the selected texts would hypothetically reflect throughout the Systemic Function of language in which Namibian society is portrayed. According to the findings of the study, the language used in Namibian short stories is a vehicle for cultural transmission. In a community, this is the process by which a culture is passed down from one generation to the next (Tamariz & Kirby, 2016). It was also discovered that language may be used to not only transfer culture but also to impart spiritual ideas and to connect a society together. Furthermore, the study discovered that ideational aspects are primarily used in short stories to provide extra information and to develop connections. The authors of the short stories in this study employed interpersonal components to represent their own points of view. Finally, the study discovered that textual pieces are used to construct logic and coherence within writings. The study indicates that questioning is a linguistic technique that can be used to elicit clarification or additional information from either the speaker or the hearer. The study suggests that other forms of writings, such as magazines and poetry, be stylistically analysed in order to improve Namibia's literary environment. Such texts depict the use of language in everyday situations.