BEYOND THE SURFACE: UNMASKING SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR LENS TO ECOLOGICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN "THE NECKLACE"

Abstract

Eco-linguistics is a new field of linguistics that combines linguistics with ecology. In 1972, Einar Haugen was the first to use the term "ecology" in linguistics and to define the term "language ecology." The purpose of this study is to examine an ecolinguistic viewpoint on Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace." This study aims to observe how lexico-grammatical elements elucidate the discourse as eco-destructive, and how the story reflects the discourse's ecological orientation from an eco-linguistics perspective. The study is descriptive. The qualitative approach is used. The data analysis of this study has included content/textual analysis. Halliday’s systemic Functional Grammar (1990) is taken as a tool to analyze the function of the discourse. Naess’s ecosophy (1995) is used to describe the ecological orientation of the discourse. The original text of the discourse is the sample of the study. To evaluate the discourse as eco-destructive discourse and ecological orientation of the discourse, the researcher focused on two metafunctions of SFG: ideational and interpersonal metafunctions. The findings of the study demonstrated that the lexico-grammatical aspects explain how the discourse "The Necklace" is ecologically destructive. The identified processes through ideational metafunctions and the high degree of modality in interpersonal metafunctions provide the true reflections of eco-destructive discourse in the story “The Necklace”. The ecological orientation of the discourse also leads to destruction. Naess’s (1985) idea about ecosophy also reflects that Ecological Discourse Analysis of the story (Discourse) opposes his concept of ecosophy “LIVING”. The protagonist of the story cannot live well-being, valued, sustainable, and cared for life. In other words, eco-destructive discourse is opposing the ecosophy, sustainability, and value of living life.