Contact Analysis of Tariq Rahman’s “Deaf, Dark, Walls”: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach

Abstract

The objective of this study is to find out the relations among the participants and their contacts by focusing on the language use and its interpersonal meanings in Tariq Rahman’s short story “Deaf, Dark, Walls.” The data is collected by mixed methods, both qualitative and quantitative. This study attempts to analyze and interpret the selected statements through Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics theory. The contact of the participant Javed is two times involved while Khaista Gul is eight times uninvolved in the selected twenty statements. It is recommended to conduct a study on the said short story from the lens of critical discourse analysis as the short story is replete with ideological words and excerpts.