A STYLISTIC STUDY OF ADICHIE'S THE THINGS AROUND YOUR NECK AND PURPLE HIBISCUS

ABSTRACT: Style refers to an individual's unique approach or manner of accomplishing a task. The various aspects of human behaviour, such as dressing, speaking, acting, teaching, and writing, are influenced by a multitude of factors and ideologies, including history, religion, and culture. The creative style of a writer can sometimes present a challenge for readers. This study aims to conduct a linguistic stylistic analysis of Chimamanda Adichie's novels, Purple Hibiscus and Things around the Neck. The objective is to identify the linguistic features employed by the writer and gain insight into the cultural and historical ideologies embedded in the texts, thereby appreciating her unique writing style. The theoretical framework of Halliday's functional linguistics approach is utilised to analyse the stylistic functional effects and thematic significance of linguistic features in literary texts. The analytical checklist developed by Leech and Short (2007) is utilised to systematically analyse various stylistic features. These features are categorised into three groups: lexical, grammatical, and contextual. The writer's choice of stylistic expression is analysed using Basil Bernstein's (1971) perspective on code switching and mixing, which examines how the writer's culture influences this choice. The study successfully identifies the stylistic features present in the texts and examines how these styles are employed to convey Adichie's ideas. Additionally, it explores the influence of Adichie's cultural and linguistic background on her writing style. According to Halliday's systemic functional approach, style is influenced by the functional purpose that a writer intends to achieve through their choice of language. This study examines the linguistic and stylistic features employed by Adichie to enhance the creative presentation of her novels. This research suggests that young writers may benefit from adopting Adichie's writing style. The study emphasises that studying style can enhance a writer's capacity to effectively communicate their ideas.