Resourcefulness of Rhetorical Questions in Ehusani's "A New Year Prayer for Peace"
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the Department of English University of Ibadan
Abstract
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This study examines the application of rhetorical questions (RQs) as a
sophisticated stylistic device in literary genre. This is significant because
language is the nexus of human empowerment that depicts how
available linguistic resources are used to negotiate power relations
and construct meaning. The study is a departure from conventional
approaches to the subject in that it takes note of the frequency of
occurrence and investigates, intrinsically the thematic and textual
implications of RQs. It depicts the contextual appropriateness of RQs
rather than as isolated maxims and reflects the level of textual cohesion.
The study establishes the perlocutionary force of RQs over statements
in the resolution of issues within the Nigerian socio-cultural setting.
Keywords
PE English, PR English literature