Analysis of literary plays based on discourse analysis theory: Study through linguistic material of “Truong Ba's Soul in the butcher's body” (Hồn Trương Ba da hàng thịt) by Luu Quang Vu, Vietnam

Abstract

Discourse analysis is a new research branch of linguistics. Its theoretical premises have been developed and applied. Arising from the issue of how features of different forms of discourse should be preserved when a certain linguistic theory is applied, this article aims to develop an approach to analyse the discourse of a particular literature genre – plays. This requires how the objects for analysis are identified and how they are approached using relevant theories of discourse analysis. In order for these objectives to be met, four theoretical perspectives are suggested: the coherence of the` discourse is analysed, the register of the discourse is analysed, languages of the characters are analysed, and the content of the play is analysed. In each of these perspectives, the author, on one hand, complies with the systematic standards of discourse analysis theories, on the other hand, analyses the different genre bodies of the play.