Power and Ideology in Figurative Language: A Critical Stylistic Study of Dawn

Abstract

The figurative language used in selected articles from Dawn, a well-known English-language daily in Pakistan, is stylistically and critically analyzed in this study. The study investigates how Pakistani sociopolitical and economic concerns are addressed via the use of a variety of stylistic elements, including personification, metaphors, similes, and others. The study also explores power relations, ideologies, and social inequalities reflected by the text. The study uses a qualitative methodology and Peter Barry's stylistic framework and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) by Norman Fairclough and Teun A. van Dijk to investigate how meaning-making and linguistic inventiveness interact in the discourse of the newspaper. The results demonstrate how important figurative language is in influencing public opinion, encouraging critical thinking, and supporting media narratives. This approach advances the disciplines of stylistics, media studies, and critical discourse analysis by providing important insights into the connection between language, ideology, and media representation in modern journalism.

Keywords: Style, Stylistics, Figure of speech, Language and Ideology, Media Discourse, Critical  Discourse Analysis, Ideology and Power