Linguistic Analysis of Monkey Grip

Monkey Grip, published in 1977, is the first novel of the famous contemporary Australian writer Helen Garner, which is regarded as the turning-point of Australian women literature work.The great success and influence of this novel lies in Garner's unique language art.She is very skillful at conveying abstract innermost thoughts with vivid and specific words in exquisite and smooth language.This essay analyzes a few typical sentences in the novel at graphological, lexical, syntactic and rhetorical levels from the perspective of literary stylistics, for reference to better appreciation of Garner's language art and further understanding of heroine's inner conflict and pain.