Exploring Post-Traumatic Transformation: Transitivity Analysis of the Novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the role of transitivity processes by exploring the post-traumatic transformation of the female protagonist after enduring different life traumas in Delia Owens’ novel, Where the Crawdads Sing. The study employs Halliday’s transitivity analysis as an analytical framework and Richard Tedeschi’s post-traumatic growth as a theoretical framework. Transitivity analysis extracted 199 clauses from the novel Where the Crawdads Sing. These clauses are further broken down into processes and participants etc. providing a detailed interpretation of how post-traumatic transformation is depicted. The findings indicate that post-traumatic transformation is predominantly portrayed through linguistic choices in the form of transitivity processes. The dominant process is the material process counted as 95. The transitivity processes in the novel unveil the female protagonist as the main participant experiencing traumas and achieving post-traumatic transformation in her life. This study highlights the significance of transitivity analysis to better comprehend the function of language in creating meaning in text.