The Role of Ergative Clauses in Developing Narrative Genre: A Case Study of A Detective Novel Entitled Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

摘要

This research examines how ergative clauses develop phases and stages in narrative genre in detective novel. As we all know that ergative clauses expose or sometimes hide the additional agent what Martin et al called as extra causer. In their nature, the extra causers derive roles in the clause such as initiator, attributor, assigner, and inducer. These roles depend on the types of processes in their experiential meaning in the clauses. On the other hand, detective novel contains mystery where the characters attempt to uncover it by investigating, interrogating and speculating. In this kind of job, the characters will probably exploit ergativity. This study belongs to a qualitative research with embedded case study investigating a detective novel entitled Angels and Demons. It applies total sampling to figure out the role ergative clauses in developing phases and stages in the novel. The data are analyzed in domain, taxonomy, componential analyses and finding cultural values. The finding indicates that certain types of ergative clauses help construct the types of phases depending on the types of stages of the genre. Thus, it can be concluded that ergative clauses play roles in building up the mystery in the novel.