Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective

Patrice C. Akogbeto; Albert O. Koukpossi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

| Peer-Reviewed

Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective

Patrice C. Akogbeto, Albert O. Koukpossi

Published in Communication and Linguistics Studies (Volume 1, Issue 2)

Received: 18 June 2015 Accepted: 25 June 2015 Published: 1 July 2015

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

The term gender is relatively new in such disciplines as Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociolinguistics, let alone with Literary Linguistics. As opposed to sex which refers to biological characteristics, gender is culture based. Nowadays, it is actively recommended to include aspects of gender in whatever project we undertake. The present article is an attempt at probing the language used by male and female characters in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel to see how gender issues are grounded in the play to let it play its didactic role. The aim is to pinpoint the way female and male are represented through a lexicogramatical analysis with a special focus on its transitivity system as suggested by Halliday (1994) to enter Wole Soyinka’s characters’ inner and outer world as they use language to enable them ‘to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them’ (1994:106). That Soyinka considers or does not consider women or just recounts the situation of women in Yoruba traditional societies is what is at stake in this study. The results of the investigation in the light of transitivity and Critical Discourse Analysis shows that Soyinka, consciously or unconsciously has represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphorically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power. They are also portrayed as initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king while their female counterparts (Sidi, Sadikou) are represented as goals and/or beneficiaries of men’s actions and associated with processes of sensing and of emotion.

Published in	Communication and Linguistics Studies (Volume 1, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
Page(s)	26-34
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), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gender, Power, Transitivity, Systemic Functional Linguistic, Critical Discourse Analysis

References

[1]	Akogbeto, P. (2010) ‘The ideational dimension of Wole Soyinka’s Idanre: A poetry perspective’, in Particip’Action, vol . 2, pp. 123-142.
[2]	Akogbeto, P. and Koutchadé, I. (2014) ‘Pragmatic analysis of Amma Darko’s Beyond the Horizon’ in MultiFontaines, pp. 55-71.
[3]	Coates, J. (2004) Women, Men and Language: A Sociolinguistics Account of Gender Differences in Language, 3rd edn. London: Pearson Education Limited.
[4]	Fontaine, L. (2013) Analysing English Grammar: A Systemic Functional Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[5]	Gallardo, B. C. (2006) ‘Analysis of a literary work using Systemic-Functional Grammar’. Online document, available online at www.academia.edu. Retrieval date: 12/03/2013.
[6]	Haig, E. (2009) ‘Ideational aspects of meaning: A study of process type usage in a radio news bulletin about youth crime’, in Studies in Media and Society, pp.29-44.
[7]	Halliday, M.A.K.(1978) Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Arnold.
[8]	Halliday, M.A.K. and Matthiessen, C.M.I.M., (2004) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Hodder Education.
[9]	Halliday, M.A.K., Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (1999) Constuing Experience Through Meaning: A language –based Approach to Cognition. London: Continuum.
[10]	Halliday, M.A.K. (1985) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Award.
[11]	Halliday, M.A.K. (1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Award.
[12]	Houessou-Adin (2011) Prolegomena to Critical Literary Analysis and Text Explication. Cotonou: Hotepbooks.
[13]	Kazemian, B., Behnam, B., & Ghafoori, N. (2013). Ideational grammatical metaphor in scientific texts: a Hallidayan perspective. International Journal of Linguistics, 4(4), 146-168.
[14]	Behnam, B. & Kazemian, B. (2013). A comparative study of ideational grammatical metaphor in scientific and political texts.
[15]	Kazemian, B., & Hashemi, S. (2014a). Nominalizations in scientific and political genres: A systemic functional linguistics perspective. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(2), 211-228.
[16]	Kazemian, B., & Hashemi, S. (2014b). Critical discourse analysis of Barack Obama's 2012 speeches: Views from systemic functional linguistics and rhetoric. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(6), 1178-1187.
[17]	Koukpossi, O. A. (2009) ‘Media text analysis through the grammar of interpersonal meaning and textual meaning’, unpublished Maîtrise dissertation. University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
[18]	Koukpossi, O. A. (2012) ‘Lexico-grammatical analysis of The Imprisonment of Obatala by Obotunde Ijimere and The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A systemic functional approach.Unpublished DEA dissertation. University of Abomey, Benin.
[19]	Koussouhon, L. and Koukpossi O. A. (2013) ‘Analyse lexico-grammaticale du discours d'investiture de François Hollande avec un accent spécial sur la transitivité’, in Revue Togolaise des Sciences. Vol. 7, n°1 : 314-331.
[20]	Koussouhon, L. (2009)‘Process types and ideational meaning in The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born’, in IMO-IRIKISSI. Vol. 1: 129-142.
[21]	Koussouhon, L. (2011) ‘Systemic functional linguistics: Accounting for literature in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts’, in Geste et Voix. n°11: 15-35.
[22]	Koussouhon, L. and Allagbe, A. A. (2013) ‘The lexicogrammar of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s fiction: A systemic functional contribution’, in Language & Devenir, n°22: 19-44.
[23]	Koussouhon, L. & Dossoumou, A. M. (2015) “Exploring ideational metafunction in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water: A re-evaluation and redefinition of African women’s personality and identity through literature”, in International Journal of Ap-plied Linguistics & English Literature. Vol. 4 No. 5;
[24]	Magalhães, I. M. (2005) ‘Interdiscursivity, gender identity and the politics of literacy in Brasil’, in Lazard, M. (ed.), Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis and Ideology in Discourse. New-York: Palgrave, pp. 181-204.
[25]	Muhammad, U. A. (2011) ‘Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel: A distortion of female image’, in JORIND (9) 1 June, 2011, pp. 320-323. Available online at www.ajol.info/journals/jorind. Retrival date: 15/02/2014.
[26]	Noor, M., Ali, M., Muhabat, F. & Kazemian, B. (2015a). Systemic Functional Linguistics Mood Analysis of the Last Address of the Holy Prophet. International Journal of Language and Linguistics. Special Issue: Critical Discourse Analysis, Rhetoric, and Grammatical Metaphor in Political and Advertisement Discourses. 3(5-1), 1-9.
[27]	Noor, M., Mustafa, R., Muhabat, F. & Kazemian, B. (2015b). The Language of TV Commercials’ Slogans: A Semantic Analysis. Communication and Linguistics Studies. 1(1), 7-12.
[28]	Olajide, S. B. (2006) ‘Implication of Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel for women empowerment’,. in Adegnika, A. (ed.), African Journal of Educational Studies (AJED), Vol. 4, n°2 sept., 2006, pp.176-184.
[29]	Soyinka, W. (2001) The Lion and the Jewel. Ibadan: Mosuro Edition.
[30]	Tyson, L. (2006) Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, 2nd edn. London and New-York: Routledge.
[31]	Vagas, O. (2010) From Women to Gender: A Diachronic Exploration of Participant Representation in texts from The United Nations. Pargas (Firland): Abo Akademi University Press.
[32]	Wodak, R. & Meyer, M. (eds.) (2009) Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis, 2nd edn. London: SAGE Publications.
[33]	Zargar, S., (2012) ‘Traces of Afrocentricity in The Lion and the Jewel and The Road by Wole Soyinka’, in The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.5, n°.5, June 2012, pp. 85-96.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto, Albert O. Koukpossi. (2015). Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 1(2), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto; Albert O. Koukpossi. Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Commun. Linguist. Stud. 2015, 1(2), 26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto, Albert O. Koukpossi. Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Commun Linguist Stud. 2015;1(2):26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13,
  author = {Patrice C. Akogbeto and Albert O. Koukpossi},
  title = {Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective},
  journal = {Communication and Linguistics Studies},
  volume = {1},
  number = {2},
  pages = {26-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cls.20150102.13},
  abstract = {The term gender is relatively new in such disciplines as Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociolinguistics, let alone with Literary Linguistics. As opposed to sex which refers to biological characteristics, gender is culture based. Nowadays, it is actively recommended to include aspects of gender in whatever project we undertake. The present article is an attempt at probing the language used by male and female characters in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel to see how gender issues are grounded in the play to let it play its didactic role. The aim is to pinpoint the way female and male are represented through a lexicogramatical analysis with a special focus on its transitivity system as suggested by Halliday (1994) to enter Wole Soyinka’s characters’ inner and outer world as they use language to enable them ‘to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them’ (1994:106). That Soyinka considers or does not consider women or just recounts the situation of women in Yoruba traditional societies is what is at stake in this study. The results of the investigation in the light of transitivity and Critical Discourse Analysis shows that Soyinka, consciously or unconsciously has represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphorically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power. They are also portrayed as initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king while their female counterparts (Sidi, Sadikou) are represented as goals and/or beneficiaries of men’s actions and associated with processes of sensing and of emotion.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective
AU  - Patrice C. Akogbeto
AU  - Albert O. Koukpossi
Y1  - 2015/07/01
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
T2  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JF  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JO  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
SP  - 26
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2380-2529
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
AB  - The term gender is relatively new in such disciplines as Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociolinguistics, let alone with Literary Linguistics. As opposed to sex which refers to biological characteristics, gender is culture based. Nowadays, it is actively recommended to include aspects of gender in whatever project we undertake. The present article is an attempt at probing the language used by male and female characters in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel to see how gender issues are grounded in the play to let it play its didactic role. The aim is to pinpoint the way female and male are represented through a lexicogramatical analysis with a special focus on its transitivity system as suggested by Halliday (1994) to enter Wole Soyinka’s characters’ inner and outer world as they use language to enable them ‘to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them’ (1994:106). That Soyinka considers or does not consider women or just recounts the situation of women in Yoruba traditional societies is what is at stake in this study. The results of the investigation in the light of transitivity and Critical Discourse Analysis shows that Soyinka, consciously or unconsciously has represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphorically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power. They are also portrayed as initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king while their female counterparts (Sidi, Sadikou) are represented as goals and/or beneficiaries of men’s actions and associated with processes of sensing and of emotion.
VL  - 1
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Patrice C. Akogbeto

Department of English Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FLASH)，Laboratory for Research in Linguistics and Literature (LabReLL)， University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Abomey-Calavi, Benin
Albert O. Koukpossi

Department of English Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FLASH)，Laboratory for Research in Linguistics and Literature (LabReLL)， University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto, Albert O. Koukpossi. (2015). Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 1(2), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto; Albert O. Koukpossi. Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Commun. Linguist. Stud. 2015, 1(2), 26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Patrice C. Akogbeto, Albert O. Koukpossi. Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective. Commun Linguist Stud. 2015;1(2):26-34. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13,
  author = {Patrice C. Akogbeto and Albert O. Koukpossi},
  title = {Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective},
  journal = {Communication and Linguistics Studies},
  volume = {1},
  number = {2},
  pages = {26-34},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cls.20150102.13},
  abstract = {The term gender is relatively new in such disciplines as Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociolinguistics, let alone with Literary Linguistics. As opposed to sex which refers to biological characteristics, gender is culture based. Nowadays, it is actively recommended to include aspects of gender in whatever project we undertake. The present article is an attempt at probing the language used by male and female characters in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel to see how gender issues are grounded in the play to let it play its didactic role. The aim is to pinpoint the way female and male are represented through a lexicogramatical analysis with a special focus on its transitivity system as suggested by Halliday (1994) to enter Wole Soyinka’s characters’ inner and outer world as they use language to enable them ‘to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them’ (1994:106). That Soyinka considers or does not consider women or just recounts the situation of women in Yoruba traditional societies is what is at stake in this study. The results of the investigation in the light of transitivity and Critical Discourse Analysis shows that Soyinka, consciously or unconsciously has represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphorically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power. They are also portrayed as initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king while their female counterparts (Sidi, Sadikou) are represented as goals and/or beneficiaries of men’s actions and associated with processes of sensing and of emotion.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Gender Issues in the Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka: A Linguistics-Oriented Analysis from a Systemic Functional Grammar and Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective
AU  - Patrice C. Akogbeto
AU  - Albert O. Koukpossi
Y1  - 2015/07/01
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
T2  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JF  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JO  - Communication and Linguistics Studies
SP  - 26
EP  - 34
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2380-2529
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20150102.13
AB  - The term gender is relatively new in such disciplines as Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Sociolinguistics, let alone with Literary Linguistics. As opposed to sex which refers to biological characteristics, gender is culture based. Nowadays, it is actively recommended to include aspects of gender in whatever project we undertake. The present article is an attempt at probing the language used by male and female characters in Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel to see how gender issues are grounded in the play to let it play its didactic role. The aim is to pinpoint the way female and male are represented through a lexicogramatical analysis with a special focus on its transitivity system as suggested by Halliday (1994) to enter Wole Soyinka’s characters’ inner and outer world as they use language to enable them ‘to build a mental picture of reality, to make sense of what goes on around them and inside them’ (1994:106). That Soyinka considers or does not consider women or just recounts the situation of women in Yoruba traditional societies is what is at stake in this study. The results of the investigation in the light of transitivity and Critical Discourse Analysis shows that Soyinka, consciously or unconsciously has represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphorically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power. They are also portrayed as initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king while their female counterparts (Sidi, Sadikou) are represented as goals and/or beneficiaries of men’s actions and associated with processes of sensing and of emotion.
VL  - 1
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download