George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man: A Stylistic Analysis
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume3, Number1. February 2019 Pp. 246- 256
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no1.19
George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man: A Stylistic Analysis
Raja Khaleel Al-Khalili
English Department and Cultural Studies
Hashemite University, Jordan
Jumana Jameel
English Department and Cultural Studies
Hashemite University, Jordan
Abstract:
The plays of George Bernard Shaw offer criticism of modern societies and especially the glorification of war as in Arms and the Man. The present study investigates the usefulness of the application of Michael Halliday’s (2014) concept of “register” to Shaw’s Arms and the Man and uses a stylistic reading of the play to show how the term could yield important findings in the underlying meaning of the play. The research intends to identify the major components: field, tenor and mode in the play. The study shows that the concept of “register” can be applied to literary texts to explore the hidden meanings of the text and especially in Arms and the Man which deals with the glorification of war by statesmen. The present study highlights the role of the concept of register in shedding light on literary texts especially modern plays. It offers a new reading of the play because the linguistic aspects are a reflection of the depth of the underlying meanings of the literary text. The study recommends that the concept of register should be used by literary critics as a means of literary analysis.
Keywords: Arms and the Man, George Bernard Shaw, pragmatics, realism, register, stylistics
Cites as: Al-Khalili, R. K., & Jameel, J. (2019). George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man: A Stylistic Analysis. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies, 3 (1) 246- 256 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no1.19