A Corpus-Assisted Stylistic Analysis of as Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.10697Keywords:
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, corpus-assisted stylistics; lexical patterns; trauma representation.Abstract
This study investigates the linguistic representation of trauma in As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Katouh (2022), a contemporary novel that portrays the traumatic experiences of civilians during the Syrian conflict. Using a corpus-assisted stylistic approach, the study examines recurring lexical patterns to explore how trauma is constructed through language. Drawing on Leech and Short’s (2007) stylistic framework, the analysis focuses on nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs identified through frequency and concordance analyses using AntConc. The findings reveal dominant lexical patterns associated with medical or clinical, violence-related, psychological, and floral or nature-related semantic fields. These patterns represent trauma as a multidimensional experience characterized by bodily suffering, emotional distress, environmental destruction, and symbolic resilience. Concordance analysis further shows that seemingly ordinary words can acquire traumatic meanings in specific narrative contexts. The study demonstrates that Katouh’s lexical choices portray trauma not only as loss and devastation but also as endurance, hope, and resilience. Overall, the findings highlight the value of corpus-assisted stylistic analysis for understanding trauma representation in contemporary conflict fiction.
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