CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES IN RALPH WALDO EMERSON'S SELF-RELIANCE: CONSTRUCTING SELF-RELIANCE THROUGH GENRE, MODALITY, AND RHETORIC

Abstract

This study conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance, with a focus on the linguistic strategies Emerson uses to construct the ideology of self-reliance. Drawing on Bhatia’s (2004) genre-based model of CDA, the research examines how Emerson’s use of genre conventions, modality, metaphor, and rhetorical devices work together to persuade readers to embrace self-reliance as a central value. The study aims to uncover the relationship between language and ideology in Self-Reliance, highlighting how Emerson’s linguistic choices reinforce the philosophical stance of individualism, autonomy, and nonconformity. Through CDA, the analysis investigates how Emerson’s strategic use of high modality constructs self-reliance as an imperative and how metaphorical language, such as the symbolic use of “nature,” serves to connect personal development with natural harmony. Additionally, the research explores the essay’s rhetorical devices, including repetition, parallelism, and aphorisms, to show how they enhance the persuasive power of Emerson’s argument. This study contributes to existing scholarship by providing a linguistic perspective on Emerson’s work, moving beyond its philosophical and literary dimensions to reveal the discursive mechanisms that shape its ideological content. The research not only enriches the understanding of Self-Reliance but also contributes to the broader field of CDA by applying a genre-based approach to philosophical texts. By highlighting the role of language in constructing and reinforcing ideologies, this study underscores the importance of CDA in exploring how literature and philosophy serve as tools for ideological persuasion. Ultimately, the study seeks to illuminate how Emerson’s Self-Reliance functions as both a philosophical text and a discourse that shapes readers' perceptions of individuality, societal norms, and personal empowerment.