Systemic FunctionalGrammar formulated by Halliday 2004 is used for analyzing the experientialmeaning of the verbal texts in the collected data resources, while VisualGrammar originated b
INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE
Comics have become a vital area of research and a powerful tool for storytelling, vividly engaging children through colorful images and texts They play a crucial role in shaping young minds by sharing societal values and creating imaginative worlds, offering insights into diverse cultures and characters globally Typically structured with a satisfying ending where good triumphs over evil, comics also serve as accessible educational materials for those who cannot read or write, using images to foster creativity and imagination—key skills for future success With their vibrant visuals, meaningful content, and diverse characters, comics make reading more enjoyable and leave a lasting impression on young audiences, promoting relaxation and cultural understanding.
Each comic image contains multiple layers of meaning when viewed from a multimodal perspective, which considers linguistic resources such as speech and writing as integral parts of a unified ensemble Jewitt (2007) emphasizes that a multimodal approach examines how these resources are organized, designed, and orchestrated to convey curriculum knowledge and pedagogic relationships Incorporating various perspectives enhances our understanding of comics by revealing the diverse ways they can be read, interpreted, and viewed Our aim is to explore and collect valuable insights into the different interpretations of comics through a multimodal lens.
A comprehensive perspective on various aspects of comics reveals that images alone often carry multiple meanings, showcasing our impressive ability to interpret visual content However, since images may not always fully convey the intended message, accompanying texts play a crucial role in helping us understand the writer's full communication According to Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006), while images are commonly viewed as mere illustrations, their function extends beyond decoration to support meaning-making in visual communication.
‘explanation’ would be that the accompanying verbal text explains what is not made clear visually.
Each story features a unique storyline and imagery that reflect national culture and customs, guiding readers—especially children—to understand life's values through their own perception of the world A prime example is the comic and vivid tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which allows children to explore experiences from a multimodal perspective with ease By engaging with both verbal and visual elements, children can perceive the plot through an experiential lens, enhancing their understanding and connection to the story.
The "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" comic offers a vivid example of how verbal and visual texts can be interpreted differently by diverse audiences My research indicates that there has been limited exploration into the experiential meaning within this comic, highlighting a gap in comic book studies Understanding how readers engage with both the textual and visual elements can deepen insights into its cultural and emotional impact.
Dwarfs Therefore, I decided to do the research on the topic — A study on experiential meaning in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from multimodal perspective ”.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of the study was to investigate the experiential meaning in the verbal texts and the visual images in the comic story —Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs” from multimodal perspective based on —Systemic Functional
Grammar” originated by M.A.K Halliday (2004) and —The Grammar of visual design” formulated by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen (2006). 1.2.2 Objectives
To achieve the stated aim, the objectives of the present study are as follows:
- To identify and describe the experiential meaning conveyed in the verbal texts.
- To identify and describe the experiential meaning embodied in the images.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to fulfill the objectives above, the thesis focuses on two research questions as follows:
1 How are the experiential meaning communicated verbally and visually in —Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” comic?
2 What is the occurrence frequency of process types used in these verbal and visual communications?
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study particularly focuses on the only data —Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs” comic served for the work Moreover, the study is just on the experiential meaning, leaving the other two meanings, the interpersonal and textual, untouched.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This paper highlights the significant achievement of applying two major theories to understand experiential meaning through a multimodal perspective By analyzing the comic story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," we explore how both texts and images collaboratively convey meaning This approach underscores the importance of integrating visual and textual elements to enhance comprehension and interpretative depth in multimedia storytelling The study demonstrates that a multimodal framework is essential for capturing the full spectrum of meaning in comics, offering valuable insights into how visual and linguistic cues work together to create a coherent narrative.
Dwarfs The study provides the parents of the young with useful knowledge to
0 0 help their children build the life basic skills from the imaginary world to the real one around reading and understanding visually clear meanings in images.
This study's findings on experiential meaning in text provide valuable insights into understanding comic stories where visual images alone do not convey full meaning It offers a significant contribution for researchers exploring how textual and visual elements work together in comics The research is particularly useful for scholars studying multimodal communication and seeking to analyze the deeper meanings within comic narratives Overall, this study enhances our comprehension of how experiential meaning enriches comic storytelling from a multimodal perspective, making it a valuable resource for ongoing research in this field.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis consists of five chapters.
- Chapter one, Introduction, presents rationale of the study, aim and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study, and organization of the thesis.
- Chapter two, Literature review, comprises the review of literature of the established theories, the empirical studies and previous studies related to the research area.
Chapter three, Methodology and Procedures, details the research methods and processes used in the study, including data collection techniques and the overall research approach, ensuring a clear understanding of how the study was conducted.
- Chapter four, Findings and Discussion, presents the author‘s findings of the experiential meaning in the verbal texts as well as the visual images in
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs comic.
- Chapter five, Conclusions, summarizes the main findings which satisfy the research questions, presents implications and limitations of the study, and shows suggestions for further research of the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), introduced by Halliday, is a linguistic and semiotic theory that describes language as a tool for communication through three metafunctions: ideational, interpersonal, and textual The textual metafunction organizes ideational and interpersonal meanings within context, while the interpersonal metafunction facilitates interaction between speaker and listener The ideational metafunction encodes our experiences of the external world—such as objects and events—and our inner thoughts and feelings, with experiential and logical functions serving as its core components Experiential meaning expresses our real-world and inner experiences, whereas logical functions delineate the relationships between multiple meaning units, primarily realized through the system of transitivity.
According to Halliday (2004), the transitivity system in language encodes experiential meaning by representing actions, relations, participants, and circumstances It differentiates between outer experience—external processes—and inner experience—consciousness, perception, emotion, and imagination Halliday's transitivity system simplifies the complex world of experience into six core process types: material, mental, and relational processes This system is essential for understanding how language depicts human experience and the external world.
Behavioral process, Verbal process, Existential process Figure 2.1 represents process types as a semiotic space, with different regions representing different types.
These process types are clearly focused in the following parts: having identity doing (to), acting having attntwte
Figure 2.1 The grammar of experience: types of process in English
Material process refers to actions or events where an entity actively does something, often affecting another entity These processes are expressed through verbs like form, emerge, make, create, produce, construct, build, design, write, compose, draw, paint, and bake They highlight the physical or tangible activities that bring about change or produce something in the context of language and communication Understanding material processes is essential for analyzing how entities interact and influence their environment.
In linguistic analysis, Actor and Goal are key participant roles in material processes, representing the doer and the recipient of an action, respectively The Agent is another crucial participant involved in causative material processes, responsible for causing an Actor to perform a specific action For example, in a sentence, the Agent causes the Actor to carry out the activity, highlighting the causative relationship within the process Understanding these roles is essential for analyzing the structure and meaning of sentences in language studies.
1) Birds are flying in the sky
2) The lion caught the tourist
In addition to these two roles, there are other participant roles that may be involved in the material processes such as Scope, Recipient, Client and
Scope is the participant that may construe an entity, which exists independently of the processes but which indicates the domain over which the process takes places For example:
Actor Process: material Scope (entity)
The two functions of Recipient and Client resemble one another in that both construe a benefactive role; they represent a participant that benefiting from
0 0 performance of the process The Recipient is the participant that goods are given to; the Client is one that services are done for Here are some illustrations.
4) I gave my love a ring that has no end
5) Fred bought a present for his wife
Attribute refers to the additional participants in a material process, providing insight into the qualities or states associated with the Actor or Goal According to Halliday, Attribute is used to describe the resulting qualitative state, enriching the meaning of the sentence For example, Attribute clarifies the characteristics or conditions linked to the subject or object, enhancing our understanding of the overall context Incorporating Attribute in sentence analysis helps create more precise and descriptive language, vital for effective communication and SEO optimization.
6) They washed the plates clean
Actor process: material Goal Attribute
Mental processes are essential for our conscious experience, encompassing thinking, perception, reactions, cognition, and emotions They involve perceiving the world through senses like sight, taste, and touch, as well as reacting with feelings such as fear or love Key participants in mental processes include perception, which allows us to interpret our environment, cognition, which involves understanding and believing, and emotions that influence our responses Understanding these interconnected processes is crucial for insights into human consciousness and behavior.
Senser and Phenomenon Senser refers to the person who perceives and phenomenon is something that is perceived by the senser Phenomenon included concrete person or objects, abstract things, happened
0 0 events and so on Table 2.1 shows the verbs serving as in mental processes.
Table 2.1 Verbs serving as Process in mental processes
„like’ type „please’ type perceptive perceive, sense; see, notice, glimpse; hear, overhear; feel; taste; smell
Understanding cognitive processes involves activities such as thinking, believing, predicting, and considering It encompasses knowing, understanding, realizing, and appreciating information, as well as imagining, dreaming, and pretending Cognitive functions also include guessing, reckoning, conjecturing, hypothesizing, and wondering, alongside doubting and recalling past experiences Recognizing feelings of fear, surprise, or intrigue plays a role in cognitive awareness, while memories may escape or puzzle us Desiderative aspects involve wanting, wishing, desiring, hoping, longing, yearning, and intending, with decisions and resolutions shaping our actions Overall, cognition impacts our capacity to agree, comply, or refuse, guiding our mental and emotional responses.
Emotional language encompasses a wide range of expressions that convey our feelings, such as love, admiration, and joy, like "adore," "rejoice," and "delight," which evoke positive emotions Conversely, words like "hate," "detest," and "loathe" express strong negative sentiments Emotive terms also describe feelings of sadness or grief, including "mourn," "bemoan," and "regret," helping to articulate sorrow or remorse Fear-related words like "dread" and "fear" capture anxiety and apprehension, while enjoyment is conveyed through "relish" and "marvel," emphasizing pleasure and fascination Language that appeals to attraction and disapproval, such as "allure," "please," or "displease," influences perceptions and reactions Expressions of disgust or offense, like "revolt" and "offend," evoke strong negative responses, whereas sentiments of happiness and comfort are expressed through "gladden," "gratify," and "reassure." Additionally, emotional language includes words that entertain or bore, such as "amuse" and "weary," illustrating engagement levels These powerful words are essential in creating compelling content that resonates with readers by evoking specific emotional responses.
The following sentences present the mental processes
I can f feel something on my foot
Sense r Process: mental-perception Phenomenon
Senser Process: mental-emotion Phenomenon
Senser Process: mental-cognition Phenomenon
Senser Process: mental desideration Phenomenon
Relational clauses are essential in language as they express processes of being and having, serving to characterize and identify subjects These clauses play a crucial role in providing detailed descriptions and clarifications within sentences There are three primary types of relations: intensive, possessive, and circumstantial, each existing in two distinct modes—‘attribute’ and ‘identifying’—to convey specific relationships Understanding these relational structures is key to mastering nuanced language usage and improving clarity in communication.
In ‘attribute’ mode, two key elements are recognized: Attribute and Carrier The Attribute is defined by its class, while the Carrier is attributed by the entity Conversely, in ‘identifying’ mode, Value and Token are identified through intensive relational processes, where Value is recognized by its Token, and the Token serves as the identifier of the Value This identification process is typically realized using the verb ‘be’ or its synonyms, establishing clear relational links between the elements.
Relational process of intensive attribution
Carrier Process: Relational: intensive attribution Attribute
Seven Dwarfs” from multimodal perspective based on —Systemic Functional
Grammar” originated by M.A.K Halliday (2004) and —The Grammar of visual design” formulated by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen (2006) 1.2.2 Objectives
To achieve the stated aim, the objectives of the present study are as follows:
- To identify and describe the experiential meaning conveyed in the verbal texts
- To identify and describe the experiential meaning embodied in the images.
In order to fulfill the objectives above, the thesis focuses on two research questions as follows:
1 How are the experiential meaning communicated verbally and visually in — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ” comic?
2 What is the occurrence frequency of process types used in these verbal and visual communications?
This study exclusively analyzes the data from the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" comic, providing insights into its experiential meaning The research focuses solely on the experiential aspect, while the interpersonal and textual meanings remain unexamined This targeted approach highlights the significance of understanding how the comic conveys meaning through its experiential dimension.
This paper explores the successful application of two major theories to analyze experiential meaning in both texts and images from the comic story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." By adopting a multimodal perspective, the study demonstrates how visual and textual elements work together to enhance narrative comprehension The integration of these theories provides a comprehensive understanding of how meaning is constructed across different modes in comic storytelling This approach highlights the importance of multimodality in analyzing visual narratives, offering valuable insights into how audiences interpret both images and words simultaneously.
The study offers valuable insights for parents of young children, emphasizing the importance of helping kids develop foundational life skills It highlights how transitioning from imaginative play to understanding real-world concepts can be facilitated through activities like reading and interpreting visually clear images By fostering these skills early, parents can effectively support their children's cognitive and perceptual development, laying a strong foundation for future learning.
This study's findings on experiential meaning in text offer valuable insights for interpreting the deeper meaning of comic stories that are not explicitly conveyed through images It provides essential guidance for researchers exploring experiential meaning and serves as a useful resource for those studying comics from multimodal perspectives, enhancing understanding of how text and images work together to create meaning.
The thesis consists of five chapters.
- Chapter one, Introduction, presents rationale of the study, aim and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study, and organization of the thesis.
- Chapter two, Literature review, comprises the review of literature of the established theories, the empirical studies and previous studies related to the research area.
- Chapter three, Methodology and Procedures, outlines the research methods and procedures of the study It also shows the methods utilized to
0 0 methods and procedures of the study It also shows the methods utilized to collect the data as well as to conduct the research.
- Chapter four, Findings and Discussion, presents the author‘s findings of the experiential meaning in the verbal texts as well as the visual images in
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs comic.
- Chapter five, Conclusions , summarizes the main findings which satisfy the research questions, presents implications and limitations of the study, and shows suggestions for further research of the study.
This chapter explores Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar and Kress and Van Leeuwen's Visual Grammar as the primary theoretical frameworks guiding this study, highlighting their relevance in analyzing linguistic and visual communication Additionally, it provides an overview of previous research related to these frameworks, situating the current study within existing academic discussions and emphasizing its contribution to understanding multimodal communication.