VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
ĐÀO THỊ MINH TÂN

A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON
THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF THE STORY
“THE SELFISH GIANT” BY OSCAR WILDE

BÌNH DIỆN NGỮ PHÁP CHỨC NĂNG HỆ THỐNG VỀ CẤU TRÚC
VÀ NGỮ NGHĨA CỦA TRUYỆN NGẮN “GÃ KHỔNG LỒ ÍCH KỶ”
CỦA OSCAR WILDE

M. A. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân
Hanoi, 2011

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ……………………………………………………………. i
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………… ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………………………………………. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………. iv
LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………… vii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale of the study 1
2. Aims of the study 1
3. Scope of the study 2
4. Methods of the study 2
5. Design of the study 2
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 3
1. Introduction 3
2. Theories of systemic functional grammar 3
2.1. The Transitivity structure ………………………… 4
2.1.1. Material processes 5
2.1.2. Relational processes: …………………… 6

4.3.The Theme – Rheme Pattern 26
5. The Cohesion of the Text 27
vi

5.1. Grammatical Cohesion 27
5.1.1. Reference 27
5.1.2. Conjunctive Devices 31
5.1.3. Substitution………… 32
5.2. Lexical Cohesion 32
5.3. Contextual Configuration of the text 38
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION 40
4.1. Recapitulation 40
4.2. Implication of the Paper 40
4.3. Suggestions for Further Study 41
References ………………………………………………………………………. 42
Appendix 1 …………………………………………………………………… I
Appendix 2 ………………………………………………………………… … VI
Appendix 3 …………………………………………………………………… XIII
Appendix 4 …………………………………………………………………… XIX
Appendix 5 …………………………………………………………………… XXIV
Appendix 6 …………………………………………………………………… XXIX
Appendix 7 …………………………………………………………………… XXXIX
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systems (Halliday, 1994). It is closer to our language in daily life, and thus can help us to see and
understand human language more deeply and comprehensively. It can be said without
exaggeration that functional grammar is „an effective tool of analysis, which solves the issues
left out by traditional grammar‟. In addition to that, functional grammar also offers us an
analytical tool of looking at the whole text and the grammatical features which are typical
characteristic of that kind of text. For the above-mentioned reasons, I have decided to choose “A
systemic functional perspectives on the meaning and structure of the story „The selfish Giant‟ by
Oscar Wilde” as the topic of my thesis, using Halliday‟s functional grammar as the theoretical
framework.
2. Aims of the study
Within the framework of the paper, the study attempts to:
 Re-examine some of the most important issues related to the experiential,
interpersonal and textual aspect of language.
 Analyze the meaning and structure of the story “The selfish Giant” by Oscar Wilde
based on the systemic functional module. 2

3. Scope of the study
The study does not attempt to cover all aspects of functional grammar but limits itself to
some main areas of functional grammar. In other words, only issues relating to the analysis of the
text are taken into consideration. These are transitivity structure, mood structure, theme – rheme
system and cohesion. The text used for illustration is the short story “The selfish Giant” by Oscar
Wilde.
4. Methods of the study:
The aim of this paper is to analyze the meanings and structures of a short story. Therefore,
description and analysis are the principle methods of the study. The descriptive method is
concerned with the description of main areas of functional grammar. The analytic method is
concerned with the analysis of the text.

which takes a functional approach to grammar, analyzing language as a social-semiotic of
communicative meaning-making. Language and interaction are defined by context and this
model seeks to show how contextual meaning is expressed in grammar. SFG is „systemic‟ in that
grammar consists of a series of choices that can be made in order to express ideas; in other
words, language represents a system network within which language choices are meaningful in
relation to other choices that are suppressed. It is „functional‟ in that the systems achieve certain
functions which are realized in the lexico-grammar of the language.
There are three „metafunctions‟ which form the basic foundation on which systemic
functional grammar (SFG) is based. These functions are labelled as ideational; interpersonal,
and textual. Each of the three metafunctions is about a different aspect of the world, and is
concerned with a different mode of meaning of clauses. While all three metafunctions act
together to produce meaning, in SFG they each have their own grammatical system.
 The ideational metafunction consists of the experiential and logical metafunction. The
experiential metafunction is about the natural world, that means it shows the way language is
used to express our perception of the world, and explains how we use language to describe
„doings‟ and „happenings‟. Experiential metafunction is concerned with clauses as
representation. The experiential metafunction reflects the field parameter of register. Experiential
meanings are realized through the system of TRANSITIVITY which is realized as „processes‟ in
a verb phrase constituent and its associated participants.
 The interpersonal metafunction is about the social world, especially the relationship
between speaker and hearer, and is concerned with clauses as exchange. As Halliday (1994: 68)
puts it: “The most fundamental types of speech role, which lie behind all the more specific types
that we may eventually be able to recognize, are just two (i) giving, and (ii) demanding”. This
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means there are two roles in exchange: giving and demanding. He goes on to analyze the nature
of the commodity being exchanged into (a) goods-and-service and (b) information. The MOOD
realizes this metafunction and elements of modality, tense and polarity are taken into account.
 The textual metafunction is about the verbal world, especially the flow of information in
a text. It organizes clauses as messages realized by speakers who arrange the ways in which the

normally realized by noun phrases in the clause.
iii) the circumstances associated with the process, which are typically expressed by
adverbial and prepositional phrases.
This framework has the potential of interpreting one's experience of reality. That is the
speaker's/writer's experience of the external world and the world of his consciousness. So, clause
as process has the function of expressing what reality is all about. This is semantically
categorized as process of doing, happening, feeling etc.
The following sections account for these major processes realized in the transitivity system, and
the participant roles that are involved in the processes.
2.1.1. Material processes
Material processes are processes of doing in the physical world. The basic meaning of the
material process is that some entity does something, undertakes some actions. One identification
criteria for material process is that they can be probed by the question “What did X do?”
Material processes have two inherent participants involved in them. The first of these is the
Actor, which is an obligatory element and expresses the doer of the process. The second is the
Goal, which is an optional element and expresses the person or entity (whether animate or
inanimate) affected by the process.
The following examples illustrate these constructions:
John
kicked
the ball.

John
hit
the man
very hard
The boat
sailed

in the bay.

subtypes (i) intensive (ii) possessive and (iii) circumstantial.
 Intensive expresses an “x is y” relationship, one is the other – the relationship between
the two terms is one of sameness.
 Circumstantial denotes an “x is at y” relationship, – the relationship between the two
terms is one of time, place, manner, cause, accompaniment, matter or role.
 Possessive, an “x has y” relationship - the relationship between the two terms is one of
ownership, one entity possesses another.
Each of the three types can appear in two distinct modes: Attributive and Identifying.
i) Attributive mode: “y is an attribute of x”
In the attributive mode a qualitative attribute is assigned to an entity. The structural elements
expressing this mode of process are Attribute and Carrier. The Carrier is always realized by a
noun or a nominal phrase, and the Attribute by an adjective or a nominal phrase The attribute
may be ascribed as a quality (intensive), and as a circumstance (circumtantial), or as a
possession (possessive);
For example:
John
is
talented
John
is
a talented boy
Carrier
Process : relational
Attribute ii) Identifying : “y is the identity of x”
In the identifying mode, one entity is used to identify another. The relationship between
them varies according to the type of relation process: Token and Value (intensive), of
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I
heard
the music in the basement

Senser
Process : mental
Phenomenon
2.1.4. Verbal processes
Verbal processes are processes of saying, and it exists on the borderline between mental
and relational processes. Just like saying and meaning, the verbal process expresses the
relationship between ideas constructed in human consciousness and the ideas enacted in the form
of language (Halliday, 1994:107). Examples of verbal processes are “I said I am happy” and
“The chairperson calls for the meeting.” Note that “saying” is used in an extended sense and the
“speaker” need not be a conscious being (unlike a Senser in mental process), hence a verbal
process includes any kind of exchange of meaning, such as “The booklet tells you how to find a
job” or “The clock says it is ten.” The participant who is speaking is called Sayer, the addressee
to whom the process is directed is Target, and what is said is Verbiage, for example:
8

I
announced
that the new bill will be passed.
Sayer
Process : verbal
Verbiage

I
told
her
how to play the piano

the soup
Behaver
Process : behavioural
Phenomenon
Some other examples of behavioural processes are sit, dance, sing, lie (down) (near material
processes), think, watch, look, listen (near mental processes), talk, gossip, grumble, chatter (near
verbal processes), smile, laugh, cry, frown (physiological processes expressing states of
consciousness), sleep, breathe, cough, yawn (other physiological processes) (Halliday,
1994:139).
2.1.6. Existential processes
Existential processes are processes of existing and happening. While existential clauses are
not very common in discourse, they make an important, specialized contribution to various kinds
of text. Existential sentences typically have the verb „be‟, and the word „there‟ is necessary as a
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Subject although it has no representational function. Frequently an existential clause contains a
distinct circumstantial element of time or place. The object or event that is being said to exist is
called Existent. An Existent can be any kind of phenomenon, such as a thing, person, object,
institution or abstraction, action, or event.
For example:
There
was
a little house
on the big prairie

Process : existential
Existent
Circumstance : Place
The writer has discussed all the types of processes in details. The summary of the types of
process together with their general category meaning and the principal participant functions that

Sayer, Target
5. Relational:
„being‟

Attribution
„attributing‟
Carrier, Attribute
Identification
„identifying‟
Identified, Identifier; Token, Value
6. Existential
„existing‟
Existent
Table A: Process types, Category meaning, and key participants
(Source: Halliday, 1994: 143)
2.1.7. Circumstances
This element functions to provide more information about circumstances in which
participants take part in the process. It adds meaning to a clause by describing the context within
which the process takes place.
10

Circumstance is realized by adverbial groups, prepositional phrases or nominal groups.
Circumstantial elements lie at the end of the continuum and they occur in all types of process and
with the same significance wherever they occur.
Circumstance expresses supplementary information, such as place, time, extent, matter, manner,
duration, condition, means, etc.
The main types of circumstances and their features are shown in the table below:
Type
Specific categories
Example


They are guilty in the eyes of the law
Table B: The main types of circumstances and their features
(Source: Halliday 1994: 151)
Here are some examples of the use of circumstances.
• Ali had slept in the car. (location,place)
• See you in the morning (location,time)
• They pulled the ropes again (extent frequency)
• He pleased her with his gift (means, manner)
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• She has lived here for eight years (temporal, extent)
2.2. The Mood structure
The mood structure is responsible for the organization of the clause as an interactive
event which involves the speaker/writer and the listener/reader. It is the mood that expresses the
speech role the speaker/writer adopts for himself. By doing so the speaker/writer also assigns the
role the listener/reader is supposed to assume to complement the interactive event. In an
interactive event the speaker will be either giving information or demanding information. Giving
and demanding are defined according to the nature of their commodity exchange: 'goods-&-
service' for offer and command and 'information' for statements and questions. In 'goods- &-
service' the commodity exchanged is strictly non-verbal: what the speaker/writer demands is an
object or action. In this case language is just a means to achieve an end. For example: Bring me
the book or Do your homework first. According to Halliday ( 1985.p.70-71) because the
commodity exchanged in 'goods & service' cannot be affirmed or denied they are not
proposition, so he prefers to label this type of exchange as 'proposal'. 'Proposition' stands for the
exchange of information in which case language is the end as well as the means, and the answer
is always a verbal one. As stated by Halliday, propositions can be affirmed or denied, doubted,
contradicted, insisted on and so forth
Choices in the mood structure realizes the expression of mood in the clause and the mood
component is comprised of the mood element and the residue.

She
bought
a new pen
Subject
Finite
Predicator
Complimen
t
Mood
Residue

They
are
cooking
in the kitchen
Subject
Finite
Predicator
Adjunct
Mood
Residue
2.3. The thematic structure
The three systems expressing the major categories of the semantic system have the clause
as entry condition. So, they describe the text in the light of its function in the structure of the
clause. The thematic structure is responsible for the organization of the clause as message. It
consists of two elements: Theme and Rheme. Theme functions as the „starting point for the
message‟ (Halliday, 1985a: 39), the element which the clause is going to be „about‟ has a crucial
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effect in orienting listeners and readers. Theme is the starting point of the clause, realised by

The man in the wilderness
said to me
Very carefully
she put him back on his feet again
Theme
Rheme
Theme can also be represented by two or more groups or phrases forming a 'complex' (group
complex or phrase complex).
The Walrus and the carpenter
were walking close at hand
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Tom, Tom, the piper‟s son
stole a pig and away did run
Theme
Rheme
When the thematic structure is represented by two or more elements which are explicitly grouped
within the clause to form a single constituent of the thematic structure, we call it Thematic
equatives. This element is typically the Theme but it may function as Rheme.
For example:
What the duke gave to my aunt
The one who gave to my aunt that teapot
The way Mary washed her children‟s face
was that teapot
was the duke
was this
Theme
Rheme
2.3.2. Multiple Themes
From the Theme theory, the first position in the clause is important and the kernel sentence

personal name.
- modal: any of the model Adjunct
which expresses the speaker‟s judgment
regarding to relevance of the message such
as probably, possibly, certainly, perhaps,
maybe; usually, sometimes, always;
occasionally, generally regularly; of course…;
I think, in my opinion, personally; frankly,
to be honest; honestly; please, kindly;
evidently; hopefully; in general; strictly
speaking; wisely; to my surprise…
- mood-making: a finite verbal operator
- WH (interrogative or relative)
Experimental
Topic: participant, circumstance, process
Table C: Themes and features
(Source: Halliday 1994: 54)
Below are some examples of multiple theme:
Oh
soldier, soldier
won‟t
you
marry me
continuative
Vocative
finite
topical Rheme

topical Rheme
textual
interpersonal
experiential
Theme
2.3.3. Theme in clause complexes
We have known the position of themes in single clauses and now we will have a look at
themes in clause complexes, clauses consisting more than one clause. Let‟s take the following
sentence as an example:
As the universe expanded, the temperature of the radiation decreased.
There are two different ways of analysing of the dependent clause and each captures
different aspect of what is going on.
As the universe
expended,
the temperature of the radiation
decreased.
Theme
Rheme
Theme
Rheme
Theme
Rheme
2.3.4. Theme and Mood
The choice of Theme depends on the choice of Mood.
2.3.4.1. Theme in declarative clauses:
i) Unmarked Theme - the Theme is conflated with the Subject.
E.g:

After the party, where did you go?
2.3.4.3. Theme in imperative clauses.
In an imperative clause, the basic message is 'I want you to do something'. The imperative
is the only type of clause in which the Predicator (the verb) is regularly found as Theme. Verbal
group functions as Predicator, plus preceding don't if negative.
E.g:
Wake me up before the coffee break.
Don't disturb me while I'm taking a nap.
Let's have a look at recipe (let's, plus preceding don't if negative)
2.4. Cohesion
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The concept of cohesion is a semantic one which refers to relations of meaning that exist
within the text, and that define it as a text. Cohesion occurs where the interpretation of some
elements in the discourse is dependent on that of another. The one presupposes the other, in the
sense that it cannot be effectively decoded except by resource to it. When this happens, a relation
of cohesion is set up, and the two elements, the presupposing and the presupposed, are thereby at
least potentially integrated to a text.
Cohesion is expressed partly through the grammar and partly through vocabulary. We can refer
therefore to grammatical cohesion and lexical cohesion.
2.4.1. Grammatical cohesion
Grammatical cohesion refers to the structural content. In Cohesion in English, M.A.K.
Halliday and Ruqaiya Hasan identify five general categories of cohesive devices that create
coherence in texts: reference, ellipsis, substitution, lexical cohesion, and conjunction.
2.4.1.1. Reference
Reference expresses the relationship of identity which exists between units in discourse.
There are four main types of reference: (1) anaphoric, cataphoric, and exophoric reference; (2)
personal reference; (3) demonstrative reference; and (4) comparative reference.
Anaphoric reference occurs when the writer refers back to someone or something that has
been previously identified, to avoid repetition.

2.4.1.2.4. Causal
Causal conjunctions deal with cause and effect, reason and result. Causal conjunctions are
expressed by so, hence, thus, therefore, …
2.4.1.3. Ellipsis
Ellipsis is an omission of certain elements from a sentence or clause and can only be
recovered by referring to an element in the preceding text. Like substitution, there are 3 kinds of
ellipsis: nominal, verbal and clausal ellipsis.
E.g1: A: I think you are right.
B: I am sure I am (right).
E.g2: A: Lan has gone to Ho Chi Minh city this morning.
B: Has she? She didn‟t tell me. ( that she had gone to Ho Chi Minh)
2.4.1.4. Substitution:
Substitution is a process of replacing one item with another within a text. Halliday and
Hassan (1976:88) also states that “substitution is the relation between linguistic items, such as
words or phrases and in terms of linguistic level, it is a relation on the lexico-grammatical level,
the level of grammar and vocabulary”.