A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s <i>Purple Hibiscus</i>

Adama Suleiman; Murana Muniru Oladayo; Yusuf Ibrahim

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus

Adama Suleiman, Murana Muniru Oladayo, Yusuf Ibrahim

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 11, Issue 6)

Received: 11 September 2023 Accepted: 4 October 2023 Published: 9 November 2023

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Abstract

While the general emphasis of literary linguistics called stylistics is on the interpretation of the writer’s style, the study of mind style involves an explication of textual meaning from the reader’s perspective. The former is more writer-based while the later is more reader-biased. Interestingly, the two find their data primarily from the writer’s deft creation of text, narrator and characters. This paper examines mind style in Chimamada Ngozi Adiche’s novel, Purple Hibiscus with particular focus on Kambili, the teenage narrator. Extracts from the novel are analyzed based on linguistic and cognitive analytical parameters of persistent lexical patterns, syntactic structures, and resonating figurative language that carve a peculiar world view which characterizes the text fictional universe. The paper demonstrates that the narrator exhibits unusual mind style which projects a striking contrast of her real self through mutational narration characterized by ellipsis, predilection for syntactical pattern that makes part of her body agent instead of herself, passivisation, first person singular pronoun plus static or still verbs, and peculiar figures of speech. Through these devices, the paper shows that the narrator’s mental state is fraught with fear, muteness, frustration and intimidation in the cognitive plane, thus foregrounding her conceptualization of the suffocating reality of her household. It concludes that analysis of mind style is productive for effective reading of fiction.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 11, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
Page(s)	233-238
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Literary Linguistics, Cognitive Psychology, Mind Style, Purple Hibiscus

References

[1]	Adichie, C. N. (2006). Purple Hibiscus. Lagos: Kachifo Limited.
[2]	Ali, A. G. (2016). ‘A cognitive Stylistic Study of Poetic Discourse’. ALUSTATH. Vol. 1. Pp. 17-34.
[3]	Cook, G. (1994). Discourse and Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[4]	Fowler, R. (1996). ‘On Critical Linguistics’. Coulthard G. and Coulthard M. (eds.) Text and Practices: Reading in Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Routledge, pp. 1-14.
[5]	Fowler, R. (1997). Linguistics and the Novel. London: Arrow Smith.
[6]	Hough, G. (1969). Style and Stylistics. London. Routledge and Kegan Paul.
[7]	Leech, G. N and Short, M. H. (2007). Style in Fiction: A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose. (2^nd Ed). London: Pearson Education Limited.
[8]	Margolin, U. (2003). “Cognitive Science, the Thinking Mind, and Literary Narrative.” Narrative Theory and the Cognitive Sciences. David H. (ed.) Stanford, CA.: Center for the Study of Language and Information. Pp. 271-94.
[9]	Murana, M. O. (2011). An Introduction to Stylistics. Zaria: Nasif Publishers.
[10]	Palmer, A. (2004). Fictional Minds. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press.
[11]	Pilliere, L. (2013). ‘Mind Style: Deviance from the Norm?’ Etudes de Stylistque anglaise. pp. 67- 80.
[12]	Semino, E. and Swindlerhurst, K (1996). ‘Metaphor and Mind Style in Ken Kesey’s ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’StyleVol. 30, No. 1, pp. 146-166.
[13]	Semino, E. and Culpeper, J. (eds.) (2003). Cognitive Stylistics. Language and Cognition in Text Analysis. Amsterdam: JohnBenjamin.
[14]	Simpson, P. (2004). Stylistics. A Resource Book for Students. London: Routledge.
[15]	Traugott, E. C. and Pratt M. L. (1980). Linguistics for Students of Literature. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
[16]	Werth, P. (1999). Text Worlds: Representing Conceptual Space in Discourse. London: Longman.

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Suleiman, A., Muniru Oladayo, M., Ibrahim, Y. (2023). A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 11(6), 233-238. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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ACS Style

Suleiman, A.; Muniru Oladayo, M.; Ibrahim, Y. A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2023, 11(6), 233-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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AMA Style

Suleiman A, Muniru Oladayo M, Ibrahim Y. A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Int J Lit Arts. 2023;11(6):233-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11,
  author = {Adama Suleiman and Murana Muniru Oladayo and Yusuf Ibrahim},
  title = {A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {11},
  number = {6},
  pages = {233-238},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20231106.11},
  abstract = {While the general emphasis of literary linguistics called stylistics is on the interpretation of the writer’s style, the study of mind style involves an explication of textual meaning from the reader’s perspective. The former is more writer-based while the later is more reader-biased. Interestingly, the two find their data primarily from the writer’s deft creation of text, narrator and characters. This paper examines mind style in Chimamada Ngozi Adiche’s novel, Purple Hibiscus with particular focus on Kambili, the teenage narrator. Extracts from the novel are analyzed based on linguistic and cognitive analytical parameters of persistent lexical patterns, syntactic structures, and resonating figurative language that carve a peculiar world view which characterizes the text fictional universe. The paper demonstrates that the narrator exhibits unusual mind style which projects a striking contrast of her real self through mutational narration characterized by ellipsis, predilection for syntactical pattern that makes part of her body agent instead of herself, passivisation, first person singular pronoun plus static or still verbs, and peculiar figures of speech. Through these devices, the paper shows that the narrator’s mental state is fraught with fear, muteness, frustration and intimidation in the cognitive plane, thus foregrounding her conceptualization of the suffocating reality of her household. It concludes that analysis of mind style is productive for effective reading of fiction.
},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
AU  - Adama Suleiman
AU  - Murana Muniru Oladayo
AU  - Yusuf Ibrahim
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 233
EP  - 238
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
AB  - While the general emphasis of literary linguistics called stylistics is on the interpretation of the writer’s style, the study of mind style involves an explication of textual meaning from the reader’s perspective. The former is more writer-based while the later is more reader-biased. Interestingly, the two find their data primarily from the writer’s deft creation of text, narrator and characters. This paper examines mind style in Chimamada Ngozi Adiche’s novel, Purple Hibiscus with particular focus on Kambili, the teenage narrator. Extracts from the novel are analyzed based on linguistic and cognitive analytical parameters of persistent lexical patterns, syntactic structures, and resonating figurative language that carve a peculiar world view which characterizes the text fictional universe. The paper demonstrates that the narrator exhibits unusual mind style which projects a striking contrast of her real self through mutational narration characterized by ellipsis, predilection for syntactical pattern that makes part of her body agent instead of herself, passivisation, first person singular pronoun plus static or still verbs, and peculiar figures of speech. Through these devices, the paper shows that the narrator’s mental state is fraught with fear, muteness, frustration and intimidation in the cognitive plane, thus foregrounding her conceptualization of the suffocating reality of her household. It concludes that analysis of mind style is productive for effective reading of fiction.

VL  - 11
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Adama Suleiman

Department of English and Literary Studies, Prince Abubabar Audu University, Anyigba, Nigeria
Murana Muniru Oladayo

Department of European Languages, Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria

Contact Email
Yusuf Ibrahim

Department of English and Literary Studies, Prince Abubabar Audu University, Anyigba, Nigeria

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APA Style

Suleiman, A., Muniru Oladayo, M., Ibrahim, Y. (2023). A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 11(6), 233-238. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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ACS Style

Suleiman, A.; Muniru Oladayo, M.; Ibrahim, Y. A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2023, 11(6), 233-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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AMA Style

Suleiman A, Muniru Oladayo M, Ibrahim Y. A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Int J Lit Arts. 2023;11(6):233-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11,
  author = {Adama Suleiman and Murana Muniru Oladayo and Yusuf Ibrahim},
  title = {A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {11},
  number = {6},
  pages = {233-238},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20231106.11},
  abstract = {While the general emphasis of literary linguistics called stylistics is on the interpretation of the writer’s style, the study of mind style involves an explication of textual meaning from the reader’s perspective. The former is more writer-based while the later is more reader-biased. Interestingly, the two find their data primarily from the writer’s deft creation of text, narrator and characters. This paper examines mind style in Chimamada Ngozi Adiche’s novel, Purple Hibiscus with particular focus on Kambili, the teenage narrator. Extracts from the novel are analyzed based on linguistic and cognitive analytical parameters of persistent lexical patterns, syntactic structures, and resonating figurative language that carve a peculiar world view which characterizes the text fictional universe. The paper demonstrates that the narrator exhibits unusual mind style which projects a striking contrast of her real self through mutational narration characterized by ellipsis, predilection for syntactical pattern that makes part of her body agent instead of herself, passivisation, first person singular pronoun plus static or still verbs, and peculiar figures of speech. Through these devices, the paper shows that the narrator’s mental state is fraught with fear, muteness, frustration and intimidation in the cognitive plane, thus foregrounding her conceptualization of the suffocating reality of her household. It concludes that analysis of mind style is productive for effective reading of fiction.
},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study of Mind Style in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
AU  - Adama Suleiman
AU  - Murana Muniru Oladayo
AU  - Yusuf Ibrahim
Y1  - 2023/11/09
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 233
EP  - 238
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20231106.11
AB  - While the general emphasis of literary linguistics called stylistics is on the interpretation of the writer’s style, the study of mind style involves an explication of textual meaning from the reader’s perspective. The former is more writer-based while the later is more reader-biased. Interestingly, the two find their data primarily from the writer’s deft creation of text, narrator and characters. This paper examines mind style in Chimamada Ngozi Adiche’s novel, Purple Hibiscus with particular focus on Kambili, the teenage narrator. Extracts from the novel are analyzed based on linguistic and cognitive analytical parameters of persistent lexical patterns, syntactic structures, and resonating figurative language that carve a peculiar world view which characterizes the text fictional universe. The paper demonstrates that the narrator exhibits unusual mind style which projects a striking contrast of her real self through mutational narration characterized by ellipsis, predilection for syntactical pattern that makes part of her body agent instead of herself, passivisation, first person singular pronoun plus static or still verbs, and peculiar figures of speech. Through these devices, the paper shows that the narrator’s mental state is fraught with fear, muteness, frustration and intimidation in the cognitive plane, thus foregrounding her conceptualization of the suffocating reality of her household. It concludes that analysis of mind style is productive for effective reading of fiction.

VL  - 11
IS  - 6
ER  -

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