Abstract
The thesis is an interdisciplinary investigation of the usefulness of a linguistic inquiry as a part of a literary analysis of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad through the use of M.A.K Halliday’s theory of Systemic Functional Grammar. With the use of SFG as an analyzing tool, I aim to explore the narrative in terms of style, textual function and narrative techniques. By analyzing four selected passages through the transitivity functions, I examine the process and participant types in order to analyze the characters and their level of involvement in Heart of Darkness. I also examine the grammatical choices in connection to various themes and interpretations linked to Conrad and issues concerning his view on Western imperialism in Africa.
The results of the investigation indicate how some of the grammatical situations define a character through his/her actions by revealing patterns behind the characters’ involvement in particular process types compared to others. These features also reflect Conrad’s intentions regarding the characters in the narrative and enable us to obtain a deeper understanding of the reasons behind Conrad’s distinct language choices, thus contradict some of the conventional readings of the text.