A STYLISTIC REVIEW OF THE DOMESTICATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS

Maria Olanrewaju Ewulo

Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa; Ogun State

E-mail: ewulomaria1960@gmail.com

Abstract: Adichie in Purple Hibiscus has demonstrated uncommon linguistic skills, after the style of Chinua Achebe, in domesticating English for communicative purpose. This study investigated how the writer has used language to expose problems of religious extremism, political autocracy and cruelty, poor governance of University administration, female gender oppression, which constitute some of the themes in the text. Using a stylistic analysis was found best suited as a frame work of the study. By using Hallidayan Systemic Functional Grammatical Model, the following structures were used to examine how language was used to influence the thought of the reader. These are: Theme and Information Focus; Stylized Speech Analysis; the Meta functions; Mood Structures and Reference. All these features exhibited how Adichie domesticated language to influence the readers’ thought. Finally, Adichie in Purple Hibiscus succeeded in agitating for a change from an old religious, political, corrupt system to a new,  better and progressive