Norzilawati, Ishak (2011) A transitivity analysis of anthropomorphic animals in animal fantasy stories / Norzilawati Ishak. Masters thesis, University of Malaya.
Abstract
This dissertation aims to explore the human characteristics of anthropomorphic animals found in animal fantasy stories, a sub-genre of children’s literature. Previous linguistic studies in the area of character show that they centre around real humans and weighty plots. Thus, this study attempts to give value to animal anthropomorphism since anthropomorphic animals and humans share common qualities. To attain the aim of this study, two frog stories and two fox stories of the early 20th century were chosen as data. The two frog characters analyzed were Mr. Jeremy Fisher (JF) and Freckle Frog (FF), and the two fox characters analyzed were Mr. Tod (MT) and Little White Fox (LW). In bringing out the human characteristics of the protagonists, the transitivity framework of Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) and the transitivity explications of Thompson (2004), Bloor and Bloor (2004) and Eggins (2004) were deployed. The findings indicate that JF, FF, MT and LW used material processes the most at 52%, 28.6%, 52.7% and 30.8% respectively. JF and FF used verbal processes the second most at 18.8% and 23.8% respectively; MT used relational processes the second most at 16%; and LW used mental processes the second most at 24%. Of all the protagonists, only MT was found to use existential processes that is at 0.8%. The findings also reveal that both the frog protagonists, JF and FF, hold positive human traits. However, both fox protagonists hold contradicting human traits where MT holds negative human traits and LW holds mixed human traits. It is hoped that the current study may impart awareness of linguistic choices to animal fantasy story writers, and spark interest to teachers of literature to explore such genre. Future research will encompass a synchronic and diachronic analysis of anthropomorphic animal characters across different cultures.
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