STYLE AS IDIOLECT IN EHIKHAMENOR’S “IGODOMIGODO MUST NOT COMATOSE”

Abstract

Art becomes meaningful when it examines succinctly the dynamics of
the particular society from which it springs, and by this, effects a
positive change in the society. This research examines style as idiolect
in the text: “Igodomigodo must not comatose”. The text written on the
21st of January, 2011 by Victor Ehikhamenor, a columnist at NEXT (an
online magazine), mimics and ridicules Honourable Patrick
Obahiagbon’s complex and unnecessary use of flamboyant expressions
while he served as a member of the lower chamber of the Nigerian
National Assembly. To adequately analyse this text, the paper explores
the various linguistic levels, style markers, the context of situation and
the function of this kind of text to its readers. Systemic functional
grammar has been adopted as the theoretical framework to discuss how
linguistic elements, employed in the text, are formulated to assuage the
requirement of “whos and whats” (context-function). The paper reveals
that at all the five linguistic levels; diverse features have been employed
for style and effect. The responses of readers of the text under study
have shown that Ehikhamenor’s text has in a subtle but effective
manner emphasised the use of simple expressions in place of
flamboyant ones, especially, to satisfy the primary need of
communication and perhaps, to enhance social acceptability.