Linguistic Features of Internally-Focalised Discourse in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Matigari

Abstract

This paper applies the systemic functional linguistic theories of mood and transitivity to about 40 strings of internally-focalized discourse from Ngũgĩ’s Matigari (1987) to uncover the major characteristics of this form of discourse in this particular work and to see, when applied to others, how consistent they might be. Not only do the findings confirm the indicators of this form of discourse as expounded by narrative theorists such as Uspensky (1973), Barthes (1974), Genette (1980), Rimmon-Kenan (1983) and Fowler (1986), but they also add that the choice of character can greatly influence these features.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2017.v8n1p377