A Grapho-Stylistic Analysis of Paragraphing in E.D.M. Sibiya’s Novels
Abstract
The aim of this article is to investigate the different types of paragraphs in E.D.M. Sibiya’s novels, namely: Kungasa Ngifile (2002), Ngidedele Ngife (2006), and Ngiyolibala Ngifile (2010). While Sibiya uses different paragraphs for artistic effects in his novels, there seems to be no study, so far, that has been done to investigate this aspect of his works. Since the study is a grapho-stylistic analysis, this implies that the focus is on the stylistic significance of paragraphing as graphological feature in the analysed novels. The findings of the study will reveal that Sibiya uses descriptive paragraphs for, among other reasons, imagery purposes while rhetorical inquiry paragraphs are employed for the purpose of engaging readers when a text is read. It was also discovered, on the other hand, that the narrative and dialogue paragraphs are used as narrative techniques, which contribute to the overall narration in the novels. This analysis is done through linguistic stylistics, with Ngara’s linguistic format as a base.
References
Baldick, C. (2001). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (9th edition). New York: Oxford University Press.
Chesebro, J.W., Borisoff, D.J. (2007). ‘What Makes Qualitative Research Qualitative? Qualitative Report in Communication’. 8 (1): 3-14.
Cuddon, J.A. (2013). A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Southern Gate: Wiley-Blackwell & Sons, LTD. Publication.
Faisal, F., Suwandita, K. (2013). ‘The Effectiveness of Fresh Technique to Teach Descriptive Paragraph’. Journal of Education and Learning. 7 (4): 239-248.
Flick, U. (2018). Designing Qualitative Research (2nd edition). Los Angeles. Sage Publications Ltd.
Gusmiliana, P., Fitri, M. (2016). ‘The Effect of Using Wordless Picture Books Strategy on Students’ Ability in Writing Narrative Paragraphs’. Indonesian Journal of Integrated English Language Teaching. 2 (2): 171-183.
Hanif, S., Ahmed, M., Aftab, M. (2015). ‘A Stylistic Analysis of William Henry Davies’ Leisure’. Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics. 7: 30-36.
Littel, J. (1981). Building English Skills. California: McDougal Littel Company.
MacMillan English Dictionary. (2002). Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Madani, A.B., Wali, O. (2020). ‘The Importance of Paragraph Writing: An Introduction’. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science. 3 (7): 44-50.
Malinga, S.S. (2000). An Application of Ngara’s Linguistic Format in N.F Mbhele’s Short Stories Amayeza Namathunzi. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation. Johannesburg: Vista University.
Ngara, E. (1982). Stylistic Criticism and the African Novel. London: Heinemann.
Resana, K.T. (2019). ‘Theology of Dialogue in Peace Negotiations and Settlement: A South African Case’. Stellenbosch Theological Journal. 5 (1): 299-316.
Salakpi, B.K. (2020). ‘Structure and Segmentation in Paragraphing: A Case Study of Mount Mary College of Education, Ghana’. Journal of Linguistics and Foreign Languages: (1) 2: 19-37.
Sari, F., Wahyuni, S. (2018). ‘The use of Clustering Technique to Improve the Students’ Skill in Writing Descriptive Paragraph’. English Community Journal. 2 (1): 169-174.
Serudu, S.M. (1993). The Novels of O.K. Matsepe. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Sibiya, E.D.M. (2002). Kungasa Ngifile. Cape Town: Tafelburg.
Sibiya, E.D.M. (2006). Ngidedele Ngife. Cape Town: Tafelburg.
Sibiya, E.D.M. (2010). Ngiyolibala Ngifile. Cape Town: Tafelburg.
Soanes, C., Hawker, S. (2006). Paperback Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Yeibo, E., Akerele, C. (2014). ‘Graphological Foregrounding in Chimunda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus’. International Journal of Language and Linguistics. 1 (2): 9-17.
Zheltukhina, M.R., Zinkovskaya, N.V., Katermina, V.V., Shershneva, N.B. (2016). ‘Dialogue as a Constituent Resource for Dramatic Discourse: Language, Person and Culture’. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education. 11 (15): 7408-7420.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
