AFFECT ANALYSIS OF TARIQ RAHMAN’S “DEAF, DARK, WALLS”: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS STUDY

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the relations among the participants and their influence on others, called affect, by applying Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics theory to Tariq Rahman’s short story “Deaf, Dark, Walls” while focusing on the language use and its interpersonal meanings. The study was conducted via mixed methods. By applying affect, the part of tenor, in Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics theory, the study found that the participant Javed is self-oriented twice while Javed and the other participants Sarmad Shah and the old guard are other-oriented once throughout the short story. The affect of the participant Sarmad Shah was positive five times, while Khaista Gul was negative twice. It has a permanent affect on Sarmad Shah four times and a temporary affect on the participants Khaista Gul and Sarmad Shah once. There is the affect of emotional charges once on Sarmad Shah. It is suggested to investigate the short story through literary theories, including feminism and marxism.