Stylistic Study of Thematic Structure and Thematic Features in Ama A. Aidoo's "Comparisons or Who Said a Bird Cannot Father a Crab?"

Abstract

Research has established that a clause’s Thematic potential is replete with many alternatives in terms of the positioning or packaging of its constituents for different or particular purposes. In fact, creative users of language are aware of the striking variation/deviation they (can) operate invariably from the way they manipulate the structure of language. For instance, a circumstance of location (otherwise known as adverb of place) can be placed at/in the frontal position, medial position or final position of/in a clause, as in: a. In Cotonou, there are many buildings. b. There are in Cotonou many buildings. c. There are many buildings in Cotonou. While it is obvious that these three samples exhibit the same clause constituents, they do not actually mean the same thing from a Thematic perspective. It follows from this to note that a choice of one of the three alternatives (a., b. and c.), de facto, represents a style-marker or encodes an idiosyncratic style.