Assessing Character-Habitat Dynamics: The Efficacy of Leech’s Componential Analysis in D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers
Subject Areas :Rawa Abdulshareef Kadhim Alsaeedi 1 , Mohsen Shahrokhi 2 , Raad Shakir Abdulhasan Alnawas 3 , Ehsan Rezvani 4
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Keywords: Componential Analysis, Character-Habitat, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, Stylistics,
Abstract :
The intricate interaction of characters with their world is a crucial feature of literary fiction, but its thoroughgoing linguistic analysis continues to be an issue. The present study investigated the adequacy of Geoffrey Leech’s (1981) componential analysis (CA) model as a semantico-stylistic tool for inquiring into and quantifying the ‘logical compatibility’ between characters and their world in D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers (1913). Applying CA’s binary distinctive features to selected lexical items conveying characters’ internal states and their corresponding habitats during the main plot stages of the novel, the study applies a mixed-methods design. The analysis probes to what degree the systematic use can yield quantifiable semantic congruence estimates and further assist with an objective and more sensitive account of Lawrence’s stylistic choices in creating such central narrative dynamics. Empirical evidence from analysis of model passages indicates that Leech’s CA offers a useful, if not problem-free, model for this kind of investigation, providing a systematic means of overcoming the limits of purely impressionistic interpretation. The study discusses the value of CA in creating close, feature-based textual analysis and its limitation in semantic reductionism and handling intricate literary language. Lastly, the article argues for the utility of CA, along with qualitative interpretation, as a technical device for tracing the lexical contours of character-environment dynamics, hence serving the purposes of methodological refinement for stylistics and enhanced comprehension of Lawrence’s authorial technique.
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