Discourse Psychology and Mental Style: Short Story Analysis

Durgun H. S. S.

SELCUK UNIVERSITESI EDEBIYAT FAKULTESI DERGISI-SELCUK UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF FACULTY OF LETTERS, cilt.44, ss.251-262, 2020 (ESCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 44
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Dergi Adı: SELCUK UNIVERSITESI EDEBIYAT FAKULTESI DERGISI-SELCUK UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF FACULTY OF LETTERS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Directory of Open Access Journals, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.251-262
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Style, Discourse psychology, Transitivity, Focalization, MIND STYLE
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Mind style is based upon the notion that a narrator displays mental processes within his/her language use by utilizing distinctive linguistics elements. Such various linguistic choices made by each speaker are found to reflect individual mental states. Speaker-specific language use in terms of lexical choice, syntax, connotative meaning, transitivity and alike is within the research scope of discourse psychology and thus mental style. This study aims to analyze the short story, Annemin O Harikulade Saclari (My Mother's Marvelous Hair) by Mine Sogut, regarding the linguistic elements in terms of the mental style represented in the protagonist's discourse. The protagonist narrates the story from the first-person point of view; nevertheless, while presenting the past and present aspects, both diverse focalizations are interwoven, and transitivity processes are varied. Although the story initiates mainly with the material processes, the content is transmitted via a combination of various processes. Additionally, such variety is observed within the lexical and syntactical choices in terms of `reiteration' in the text. These structural reiterations create an echo effect, emphasis, foregrounding, and delirium regarding the protagonist's psychological dilemma.