The Ecological Discourse Analysis on John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men from the Perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics

School of Foreign Studies,Chengdu Normal University,Chengdu,China Email:843276652@qq.com

[Abstract]The destruction of human beings to the environment has touched the writers’moral consciousness and sense of responsibility to protect the environment.Although there is much criticism of Steinbeck’s literary works,the ecological criticism of Steinbeck’s works is limited.This study uses the attitude system,one system of appraisal theory from systemic functional linguistics to analyze the ecological discourse of Mice and Men,focusing on the topics of racial discrimination,class difference,gender discrimination,ideal life and real life,and reveals the author’s dualistic image of nature,which is both benevolent and destructive.This study concludes that race,class,gender,and culture are combined to engender the destruction of human beings and the environment,which reflects the writer’s ecological holism and emphasis on interrelation of all things on the earth.

[Keywords]Systemic Functional Linguistics; Appraisal theory; ecological discourse analysis; John Steinbeck; Of Mice and Men

Introduction

The study of Steinbeck’s literature from ecological perspective is limited.One study claims that Steinbeck has the ability to empower his works with ecology ethics; another study discusses the ecological holism in his work; the most famous one about Steinbeck’s ecological thinking isSteinbeck and the Environment:Interdisciplinary Approaches(1997)by Susan F.Beegel.This book insists that he is a“prophet of ecological”.Just as Aisha(2016)mentioned Steinbeck has fictionally emphasized dualism and its destructive impact on the environment,and has permeated the binary opposition in the novelOf Mice and Men.As a development of interpersonal function in systemic functional linguistics,Appraisal theory is applied to reveal the hidden ideology in texts.The ecological discourse analysisof Mice and Menunder the framework of Apprasial theory will help us to understand the author’s ecological philosophy.

Theoretical Framework

Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics points out that language is a resource to express meaning and has three metafunction at the same time:conceptual function,interpersonal function and textual function.Appraisal theory is a sub-function of interpersonal function and examines the language expression closely related to values.According to semantics,appraisal resources are divided into attitude system,engagement system and graduation system.Martin&White divided the attitude system into three subsystems:Affect,Judgment and Appreciation.The investigation of evaluation resources can reveal the hidden ideology in the text.Based on appraisal theory,by analyzing the novels’ecological discourse,we can understand the artistic expression of the works from the perspective of discourse.

Affect

According to Martin&White,Affect belongs to the category of psychology,where the psychological responses to some behaviors and phenomena,which can be positive or negative.Hu Zhuanglin(2005,p.321)denotes that“[a]ffect is perhaps the most visible manifestation of the attitude the speaker has taken towards a phenomenon”.Speakers use these language resources to express how an event or phenomenon affects them emotionally and to evaluate the phenomenon from an emotional perspective.That is,the speaker’s value orientation can be judged by the speaker’s emotional expression.

Judgment

The Judgment system belongs to the ethical category,which refers to the affirmative or negative evaluation of the language user’s behavior,based on certain moral standards.Martin et al.(2005,p.323)points out that“[a]n act is usually judged as moral or immoral,legal or illegal,socially acceptable or unacceptable,normal or abnormal,etc.”.In ecological discourse analysis,it is helpful to understand the author’s ecological consciousness by interpreting the behavior of language users in a certain social ecology and making ecological interpretation of judgment resources with personal ideology.

Appreciation

The Appreciation system belongs to the category of aesthetics,which is essentially the evaluation of objects or phenomena by people.It is mostly used for the evaluation of natural scenery,which can be divided into positive appreciation and negative appreciation.In ecological discourse analysis,the positive and negative meanings of appreciation resources reveal the author’s ecological orientation.He Wei et al.(2017,p.60)believe that“[b]oth the negative appreciation of the phenomena and behaviors that damage the site elements and the positive appreciation of the phenomena and behaviors that protect the site elements,belong to the positive appreciation of ecology.”Positive appreciation expresses the author's positive ecological values.

The Ecological Discourse Analysis of Novels

According to Martin&White’s subcategories of attitude resources,this study annotates the evaluation resources in the novel.In addition to evaluative terms,consideration is also given to labeling metaphorical evaluation in different cultural contexts

Affective System Analysis

Crooks,a black man portrayed inOf Mice and Men,changed his feelings and racial cognition towards white people in contact with farm workers represented by Lennie.Through ecological discourse analysis,it can be seen that Crooks’negative or positive emotional changes are embodied in his disagreement or agreement with white people and black people,which is also the explicit expression of the author’s emotional concepts.Take the following excerpt as an example:

Crooks laughed again.“A guy can talk to you an’be sure you won’t go blabbin’.Couple of weeks an’them pups’ll be all right.George knows what he’s about.Jus’talks,an’you don’t understand nothing.”He leaned forward excitedly.“This is just a nigger talkin’,an’a busted-back nigger.So it don’t mean nothing,see?You couldn’t remember it any- ways.I seen it over an’over-a guy talkin’to another guy and it don’t make no difference if he don’t hear or understand.The thing is,they’re talkin’,or they’re settin’still not talkin’.It don't make no difference,no difference.”His excitement had increased until he pounded his knee with his hand.(Steinbeck,1994,p.70)

Crooks’sadness and vulnerability originates from the lonely farm.When white man Lennie enters into his world,Crook is full of emotional conflict.Meanwhile,the words expressing positive feelings in the excerpt show that Crooks’sky is lighted brightly.Although he does not understand the abstract concept of his speech,it indicates that he is content with the warm attention of his companions:“This is just a nigger talkin’,an’busted-back nigger.The thing is,they’re talkin’,or they’re settin’still not talkin’.It don’t make no difference,no difference.”(Steinbeck,1994,p.70)Lennie’s soft personality leads to greater inner conflict and emotional transformation.This is not only the writer’s intention,but also the natural expression of his true feelings.Since Lennie’s loyalty and innocence stemmed from his affinity with nature,it nurtured lennie’s relationships with others.This shows that Steinbeck has the idea of holistic ecological theory and still holds out hope for building harmonious interpersonal relationship.He believes that people should support and depend on each other.Starting from Lennie,white man Candy also enters Crook’s room,and the following paragraph shows Crooks’emotional change from resistance to friendliness.

“He’s in here,”Crooks said shortly.He went back to his bunk and lay down.Candy stood in the doorway scratching his bald wrist and looking blindly into the lighted room.He made no attempt to enter.“Tell ya what,Lennie.I been figuring out about them rabbits.”Crooks said irritably,“You can come in if you want.”Candy seemed embarrassed.“I do’know.’Course,if ya want me to.”“Come on in.If ever’body’s comin’in,you might just as well.”It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.Candy came in,but he was still embarrassed.”(Steinbeck,1994,p.74)

On the surface,he appears to be blind,but the positive emotional resource“It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger”shows that he clearly relishes the fact that someone is trying to enter his room.However,the negative emotional resource“embarrassed”showed that Candy,being white,felt he was an intruder to the farm environment and the black community.Black and white’s cognition of social ecology and self-identity constitute their own emotional conflict.

When Crooks says,“You guys came in an‘settin’made me forget.What she says is true”(Steinbeck,1994,p.81),Crooks’forgetting that he was black is to let go of racial prejudice.Lennie had virtually broken the racial gap between the black and the white on the farm.This shows that Steinbeck has the idea of holistic ecological theory and still holds out hope for harmonious interpersonal relationship.He believes that people should support and depend on each other.

Judgment System Analysis

Steinbeck tries to show the suffering of poor farmers,women,blacks and those with physical and mental disabilities.Lenny’s mental retardation,for example,makes him a victim.Candy was another victim of the ranching world due to age,poverty and physical disability,and he was humiliated and marginalized.Curely’s wife was another victim of farm patriarchy.She married a man who didn’t give her love or respect.Here are some examples:

Lennie smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends.Crook said sharply,“You got no right to come in my room.This here’s my room.Nobody got any right in here but me”,“Cause I’m black.They play cards in there,but I can’t play because I’m black.They say I stink.Well I tell you,you all of you stink to me.”(Steinbeck,1994,p.68)

The six sources of judgment are all negative evaluations.The black Crooks is isolated in the harness,which is the result of some racial understanding,but it also becomes a tool for Crooks to refuse others.When someone shows that he wants to break this isolation,he shuts people away.Lennie attempts to enter his room,judging resources“You have no right to enter my room,this is my room.No one has the right to come in but me”(Steinbeck,1994,p.68),and Crooks’recognition of his own identity and that of other white workers makes the isolation that already exists between harnesses and dormitories even harder to break.Harnesses and dormitory doors have become a reminder to others to think about who they are and whether they should go in before they step in.Blacks were not to be seen in dorms,and whites were not to be seen in the harness rooms of blackCrooks.However,according to the judgement resources“but I can’t play because I’m black”,“all of you stink to me”,they suggest that this refusal was not an active choice,but simply a way of retaining his self-respect.In addition,the following example shows the gender discrimination as well:

George looked around at Lennie.“Jesus,what a tramp,”he said.“So that’s what Curley picks for a wife.”“She’s pretty,”said Lennie defensively.“Yeah,and she’s sure hiding it.Curly got his work ahead of him.Bet she would clear out for twenty bucks.”“Don’t you even take a look at that bitch.I don’t care what she says and what she does.I seem’em poison before,but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her.You leave her be.”“Well,you keep away from her,because she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one.”(Steinbeck,1994,p.54)

The above negative judgement sources are all from George’s mouth.Although George and Curley’s wife have only met for the first time,George gives such negative evaluation,based on his own stereotyping of women.These negative words such as“chicken head”,“tart”,a“tramp”,“bitch”,“rattrap”,“the new kid”,“a jail bait”reveal that Curley’s wife was regarded only as an object owned by a man,while being neglected as an independent person with feelings and thoughts.

Appreciation System Analysis

The different appreciation of natural environment and farm social environment reflects the writer’s ecological consciousness and value orientation.

On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains,but on the valley side the water is lined with trees-willows fresh and green with every spring,carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter’s flooding;and sycamores with mottled,white,recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool.On the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them.Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening.(Steinbeck,1994,p.34)

The opening scene ofOf Mice and Menshows the harmonious scenery between man and nature,and reveals the author’s love for natural beauty between the lines.The five appreciation resources“Golden”,“strong and Rocky”,“fresh and Green”,“Deep and Crisp”describe the place’s idyllic image,which are all positive.The description of natural scenery and the description of animals express the author’s perception of the intrinsic value of life in nature.Nature is an organic whole,and all species and human beings have equal status.George and Lennie had no home of their own.Like all migrant workers,they were homeless.The only solace of their miserable life was that they could save enough money to buy a little land,a house of their own,and keep a few small animals.George told Lennie to go back to river bank if he got into trouble.It can be seen that Steinbeck advocates the establishment of a harmonious relationship between man and nature and his ecological holism.However,the ugly and vicious image of the farm world contrasts with the beauty,serenity and fairness of nature.Here is an appreciation of the farm’s social environment:

The bunk house was a long,rectangular building.Inside,the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted.In three walls there were small,square windows,and in the fourth,a solid door with a wooden latch.Against the walls were eight bunks,five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking.Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk....“What the hell kind of bed you giving us,anyways”....Lennie cried out suddenly-“I don’t like this place,George.This ain’t no good place.I wanna get outta here”.(Steinbeck,1994,p.19,p.20,p.34)

All of the eight sources of appreciation are negative appreciation.A“house”is a two-storey building set in a farmhouse,dark and isolate.It can be found in these appreciation resources“rectangular building”,“the floor unpainted”,and“nailed an Apple box”,which describe the atmosphere of a two-storey house as depressing,aggressive and hard to adapt.“This ain’t no good place”was lennie’s negative assessment of the farm,as an intellectually challenged,underprivileged underdog.George also felt its filth and developed a negative appreciation:“What the hell kind of bed you give us,anyways.”

“The space in the novel is never neutral,but a place where heterogeneous forces such as class,gender,race,culture,belief and identity converge.”(Wei,2020,p.76)Through the positive appreciation of the natural environment and the negative appreciation of the farm environment,the author sets off the cruelty of reality with the beauty of imagination,and shows the isolation between races through the contrast between ideal space and real space.In addition to the physical isolation,the ranching world is dominated by a caste system of isolation and indifference.In a sense,it is a metaphor for human society in the 1930s,reflecting the social and economic oppression that people suffered during the Great Depression.Steinbeck shows the plight of the abandoned residents in the society,expresses his critical attitude to the modern urban industry that has destroyed the natural bond between man and land,man and man,and shows his regret for the destruction of social ecology and spiritual ecology.

Conclusion

This paper argues that it is through Lennie that George gives up the aimless life of a helpless migrant worker in order to achieve a more meaningful life.Curely’s wife,Candy and Crooks turn to Lennie to release themselves from their pain and loneliness,as they find in him an attentive ear that listens to their anxiety and pain.This study also highlights the significance of collaboration between the human world and the environment.It could put an end to all forms of racial,social and gender oppression and encourage human values of justice,tolerance and equality in order to restore the destructed environmental balance and achieve its sustainability.

Acknowledgements

This article represents the academic achievement of the 2017 Chengdu Normal University’s academic research project“Ecological Discourse Analysis of Humanistic Classics from the Perspective of Systemic Function”(Grant No.CS17SB05).