The Notion of Discourse as ‘Power’ and ‘Resistance’ Revisited

Negm, Mohamed Said

doi:10.21608/ijahr.2022.253251

The Notion of Discourse as ‘Power’ and ‘Resistance’ Revisited

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohamed Said Negm

English Department, Faculty of Arts, Tanta University ,Egypt

10.21608/ijahr.2022.253251

Abstract

Studies in CDA focus exclusively on two major aspects or perspectives in the analysis of discourse: language as power and more recently language as resistance. This paper argues that unfortunately power struggle and power conflict end in capitulation or concession. Examples of discourse as power and discourse as resistance (Fairclough, 2001, 2003; Negm, 1997, 1998, 2015) can be found not only in political arguments but in other discursive manifestations such as doctor-patient interviews. This paper broadens the scope of the language and power relations. It examines a new area of study related to discourse as power: capitulation (or concession) in discourse. It investigates the notion of capitulation in three literary works: Animal farm, 1984 and A passage to India. In Animal Farm by Orwell, the novella ends in despair and bewilderment on the part of the oppressed powerless animals. At the end of the novella, the animals feel powerless, bewildered and frustrated. The notion of ‘capitulation’ is pursued in 1984 since the main characters` final choice is loss, surrender and betrayal. Similarly, a Passage to India by Forster ends in capitulation due to the fact that the Indian and the English people fail to integrate and be friends. Then, the paper proceeds to discuss the implications of the aforementioned analysis for discourse analysis and applied linguistics. Yet foremost, it postulates the roots of capitulation in literary genres in which power and power-resistance are not the only conceived concepts. In this regard, discourse should be seen and examined from a multiplicity of domains and perspectives, not only power and power-resistance but also in terms of surrender and capitulation

Keywords

Main Subjects

Social Studies

Article History

Receive Date: 2021/8/23

Accept Date: 2021/9/14

Publish Date: 2021/11/2

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