Functional Analysis Of Mark Twain's Short Novel Runnign For Governor

The thesis aims to apply Systemic Functional Linguistic theory to the analysis of Mark Twain's short novel'Running for Governor'. Through a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis, we find SFL can help to find prominent stylistic features.The thesis consists of five parts.In the first part, I put forward the argument which will be discussed in the thesis and introduced the research methodology.In the second part, I first outlined six core theoretical points about Systemic Functional Linguistics, and then gave a brief literature review which included how the previous researchers had applied SFL to the analysis of literary works and what are six characteristics about Functional Stylistics. After that, I explained two categories related to prominent features and the relationship between prominence and foregrounding. Two categories are deflection and incongruity. Foregrounding can be understood as motivated prominence.In the third part, I discussed theoretical framework used in the analysis of'Running for governor'. Theoretical framework included experiential metafunction, logical metafunction, ideational metaphor, mood structure, polarity and modality, appraisal theory, thematic structure, information structure, and lexical cohesion.In the fourth part, I began the functional analysis of this novel. This part is again divided into seven subparts. In the first subpart, I gave an overall remark on the novel, and paragraphed this novel according to the development of the plots. In the second subpart, I analyzed the context of the novel. This included the analysis of the author, writing background, genre and register. In the third subpart, I analyzed the prominent features in transitivity system of the novel and ideational metaphor. In the fourth subpart, I analyzed the features based on interpersonal system and also took polarity and modality into account. In the fifth subpart, I unfolded how the author adopted thematic progression patterns to develop the plots in the novel and at the same time analyzed information structure and explored grammatical devices related to information structure which included passive voice, extraposition, cleaving, inversion, fronting and existential clauses. In the sixth subpart I discussed how appraisal system was associated with lexical cohesion. In the last subpart, I first observed graphological prominence in this novel and then discussed the author's use of hyperbole, satire, parallelism, and oxymoron in the novel.In the fifth part, I first summarized major findings based on the analysis in part four. These major findings include that (1) what enlightments we can get from the analysis of ideology, genre and register; (2) what conclusions we can get from the analysis of transitivity processes and ideational metaphor; (3) what are the features of subjects of the clauses and mood structure in the novel; (4) what are the features of thematic progression and information structure. (5) how lexical cohesion can be associated with appraisal system; (6) what kind of rhetorical parts of speech are often used in the novel and how they can be looked at from ideational point of view. Then I pointed out the limitations of this thesis and called on researchers for further study of Functional Stylistics within SFL's theoretical framework.