EXPLORING SYNTACTIC CONFIGURATIONS IN BAPSI SIDHWA'S NOVELS THROUGH CORPUS-BASED LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study explores the syntactic configurations present in Bapsi Sidhwa’s novels through a corpus-based linguistic approach, integrating Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as the analytical framework and UAM CorpusTool as the primary annotation and analysis instrument. The research draws on syntactic elements—such as noun phrases, prepositional phrases, subordinate clauses, and participial constructions—extracted from a representative corpus of Sidhwa’s major novels including Water, Ice Candy Man, The Pakistani Bride, An American Brat, and The Crow Eaters. Utilizing SFL’s metafunctions—ideational, interpersonal, and textual—the study investigates how these syntactic forms construct meaning, shape narrative voice, and portray character relationships. UAM CorpusTool facilitates multi-layered annotation of these structures, enabling both qualitative interpretations and quantitative pattern recognition across texts. The findings reveal a dynamic syntactic landscape wherein grammatical constructions are employed not only for stylistic variation but also to encode cultural nuances, emotional tones, and thematic depth. This research contributes to literary linguistics by providing a methodologically robust model for analyzing South Asian English fiction through corpus linguistics and functional grammar, highlighting the stylistic and semantic richness of Sidhwa’s prose.