ARTICLE

NEGOTIATING RACIAL BOUNDARIES A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF RACISM IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

33 Pages : 325-334

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2023(VIII-II).33      10.31703/gsr.2023(VIII-II).33      Published : Jun 2023

Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

    To explore racial discrimination in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird", we have utilized Wodak’s theoretical framework for CDA, complemented by his concentric circular model in our study. The CDA meticulously examines various textual elements, encompassing linguistic features, narrative structure, and character interactions, to discern recurrent discursive patterns perpetuating racism throughout the novel. Using Wodak’s framework highlighting context’s importance, the analysis explores the 1930s American South’s socio-political backdrop where the narrative unfolds. This contextual lens facilitates a nuanced comprehension of how language constructs and reinforces racial discrimination while illuminating the intricate dynamics of power and ideologies within the text. By delving into the social and historical backdrop, the analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelationships among discourse, racism, and societal structures, yielding valuable insights and adding to the novel's portrayal of racial discrimination and its broader sociocultural implications.

    Attitude towards Science, Self-Concept, Gender, Socioeconomic Status
    (1) Emaan Afzal
    B.S Student, Department of English, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan.
    (2) Eman Fatima Dar
    B.S Student, Department of English, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan.
    (3) Muhammad Sabboor Hussain
    Professor, Department of English, University of Sialkot, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Alvesson, M., & Karreman, D. (2000). Varieties of Discourse: On the Study of Organizations through Discourse Analysis. Human Relations, 53(9), 1125–1149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726700539002
  • Baugh, J. (2016). To Kill a Mockingbird: A CDA Perspective. Critical Discourse Studies, 13(4), 372–387
  • Charteris-Black, J. (2016). 'Mockingbird's Song: The Rhetoric of Race in To Kill a Mockingbird. Critical Discourse Studies, 13(4), 388–403
  • Fairclough, N., & Wodak, R. (1997). Critical Discourse Analysis. In T. A. van Dijk (Ed.), Discourse as Social Interaction, Vol 2 (pp. 258– 284). London: Sage.
  • Hussain, S., Jote, A., & Sajid, S. (2015). Critical Discourse Analysis: Demystifying the Fuzziness. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 3(10), 242-249.
  • Jones, C. (2018). To Kill a Mockingbird: A Tool for Teaching Empathy. English Journal, 107(5), 70– 75.
  • Smith, J. (2016). The Impact of To Kill a Mockingbird on Students' Understanding of Racism. English Journal, 105(5), 56–63.
  • Wodak, R. (1996). Disorders of Discourse. London: Longman.
  • Wodak, R. (2001). What CDA is about: A Summary of its History, Important Concepts and Its Developments? In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (pp. xx- xx). London: Sage.
  • Wodak, R., & Reisgl, M. (2001). Discourse and Racism. In D. Schiffren, D. Tannen, & H. E. Hamilton (Eds.), The Handbook of Discourse Analysis (pp. 372-397). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Wodak, R., de Cillia, R., Reisigl, M., & Liebhart, K. (2009). The Discursive Construction of National Identity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Cite this article

    APA : Afzal, E., Dar, E. F., & Hussain, M. S. (2023). Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Global Sociological Review, VIII(II), 325-334. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2023(VIII-II).33
    CHICAGO : Afzal, Emaan, Eman Fatima Dar, and Muhammad Sabboor Hussain. 2023. "Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'." Global Sociological Review, VIII (II): 325-334 doi: 10.31703/gsr.2023(VIII-II).33
    HARVARD : AFZAL, E., DAR, E. F. & HUSSAIN, M. S. 2023. Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Global Sociological Review, VIII, 325-334.
    MHRA : Afzal, Emaan, Eman Fatima Dar, and Muhammad Sabboor Hussain. 2023. "Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'." Global Sociological Review, VIII: 325-334
    MLA : Afzal, Emaan, Eman Fatima Dar, and Muhammad Sabboor Hussain. "Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'." Global Sociological Review, VIII.II (2023): 325-334 Print.
    OXFORD : Afzal, Emaan, Dar, Eman Fatima, and Hussain, Muhammad Sabboor (2023), "Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'", Global Sociological Review, VIII (II), 325-334
    TURABIAN : Afzal, Emaan, Eman Fatima Dar, and Muhammad Sabboor Hussain. "Negotiating Racial Boundaries: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Racism in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'." Global Sociological Review VIII, no. II (2023): 325-334. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2023(VIII-II).33