| In this study,Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model and Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics are used as theoretical framework for a critical analysis of the complex relationship among language,ideology and power in Toni Morrison’s A Mercy.Nowadays,the approach of CDA is mainly applied to non-literary texts,such as news reports and political speech while literary texts are often ignored.As Morrison’s classic work,the story of A Mercy is set in the late seventeenth century when slavery has not been established in North America.The language in A Mercy not only carries Morison’s ideologies,such as the unnecessary relationship between slavery and race,advocating harmonious racial relation and gender relation,but also reflects the ideologies and power relation in the late seventeenth century,such as severe racial discrimination,gender discrimination and males’ power control over females.Therefore,the study attempts to conduct a critical analysis of A Mercy from three aspects of text,discursive practice and social practice so as to obtain a more comprehensive and deep interpretation.Firstly,in the aspect of text,the study analyzes the linguistic features,hidden ideologies and power of A Mercy from lexical choice,rhetorical devices and modality.In the late seventeenth century,the unequal laws initiate racial discrimination and oppression.With the influences of British royal power and western religions in North America,females especially black females were reduced to the bottom of social stratum.However,they are not defeated but harbor a strong sense of survival and endeavor to achieve growth.Secondly,in the aspect of discursive practice,it mainly focuses on the intertextuality between A Mercy and Morrison’s former three works——Beloved,Paradise and The Bluest Eye,and further elucidates the production process of A Mercy and readers’ interpretation process.A Mercy has a close intertextual relationship with these three works in the themes of social status of black females,sisterhood,gender relation and the growth of black females,which not only influences the production of A Mercy but also helps readers have a better understanding of A Mercy.Finally,in the aspect of social practice,the study explains the decisive influence of A Mercy’s social contexts upon the creation of it and the influence of A Mercy upon society after its publication.The political,economic and religious contexts of the story,Morrison’s family background and the events happening in her time affect the creation of A Mercy.The themes such as racial harmony and the growth of black females exert positively counteractive effect upon society.The study not only enriches the study objects of CDA,but also realizes a critical interpretation to literary discourse,thus combining linguistics and literature.In addition,the critical analysis of literary works can improve readers’ critical consciousness and literary appreciation ability and make readers realize the subtle connection between language and ideology. |
