The Significance of Formulaic Sequences as a Literary The Significance of Formulaic Sequences as a Literary Stylistic Stamp: An Analytical Study of Beyond the Blue Hills by Katie Flynn

Abstract

Formulaic sequences can have a significant effect in literary texts, primarily by conveying meanings that are necessary for enhancing readers’ comprehension of an overall literary work. The primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that formulaic sequences can be functional under a stylistic framework, and to establish their stylistic significance among syntactic structures in literary works. It also sought to take into consideration the attitudes and beliefs of EFL students towards the subject matter. To address the research aims, a mixed-methods approach and a case study design were adopted. The methodology involved the use of a semi-structured questionnaire as a preliminary data collection method, administered to a small sample size (n=47) of Master Students at the department of English and Literature in Biskra University. The principal method was document analysis wherein the novel Beyond the Blue Hills written by the British author Katie Flynn was selected. Samples of formulaic sequences, phrasal verbs and idioms, were identified to serve as the corpus for subsequent content analysis and stylistic analysis. The results indicated that formulaic sequences can be considered a stylistic stamp in literary texts because they have the ability to contribute to the semantic level of language in addition to the aesthetic one. The study emphasised the importance of formulaic sequences for EFL learners in affecting their comprehension and enjoyment of literary works since their attitudes were positive towards these sequences. This study suggests the need for further research involving a larger and more diverse population, exploring various analytical perspectives to establish the role of formulaic sequences within a stylistic framework.