CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE SHORT STORY LIBERATION DAY BY GEORGE SAUNDERS

Abstract

Discourse, in general terms, refers to the use of language as a form of social practice through which meaning, ideology, and power relations are constructed and maintained. Within the literary domain, discourse functions not merely as an aesthetic device but as a potent medium that exposes, challenges, and reconstructs ideological structures embedded in social life. Literary texts, and particularly short stories, serve as condensed reflections of these dynamics due to their narrative intensity and linguistic precision. Their brevity allows for a heightened focus on how ideology operates through character speech, narration, and stylistic form. From this perspective, the present study examines the short story Liberation Day from George Saunders’s 2022 collection Liberation Day through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The analysis explores how ideological orientations, characterization processes, and power dynamics are encoded in discourse, and how individuals are linguistically and cognitively incorporated into systems of domination. The study aims to uncover the mechanisms through which the story represents voluntary subjection, othering, and social control, revealing the author’s critique of neoliberal power structures. By analyzing the story’s stylistic strategies, character positions, and narrative design, this article demonstrates how discourse operates as a site of both oppression and resistance. Ultimately, the analysis argues that Saunders’s story exposes the subtle processes by which individuals internalize hegemonic ideology, redefine their identities, and legitimize oppressive systems through language itself.