Attitudinal Resources of the "Yellowface" (2023) Reviews on Goodreads: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Study

Zakiya Rodliya; Eva Tuckyta Sari Sujatna

doi:10.24071/joll.v25i1.9091

Attitudinal Resources of the "Yellowface" (2023) Reviews on Goodreads: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Study

Zakiya Rodliya^(1*), Eva Tuckyta Sari Sujatna⁽²⁾,

(1) Universitas Padjadjaran
(2) Universitas Padjadjaran
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

The meaning of the language used in reviews can be evaluated using the attitudinal resources within the appraisal system proposed by Martin & White in 2005. The framework provides the attitude subsystem that helps identify the clauses in the categories of Affect, Judgement, and Appreciation. This research aims to examine the attitudinal resources that occurred in the reviews of the "Yellowface" (2023) novel by Rebecca F. Kuang on the Goodreads website and how the reviewers' attitudes are expressed. This research used a qualitative descriptive method. The data was taken from the Goodreads website based on the top five popular reviews. After analyzing the clauses in the collected data, the researcher then classified them into three categories of attitudinal resources. From the 169 clauses that were identified, the results show that both positive and negative features and all resources occurred in the reviews, with Appreciation being the highest resource that is used, followed by Judgement and Affect. Based on the findings, this research argues that the reviewers tend to evaluate the book's content more than to judge the behavior of the author and the book's characters or to express their emotions concerning the book. As a result, the use of Appreciation might help other readers know the values and qualities of the book.

Keywords

attitudinal resources; book reviews; Goodreads; Yellowface

Full Text:

PDF

References

Abdualhussein, M., & Jaber, H. F. (2024). Stance Construction in L2 Argumentative Essay Writing. International Journal of Research in English, 6(1), 206–210. https://doi.org/10.33545/26648717.2024.v6.i1d.188

Ajayamohan, M. (2023). Do Goodreads really show “Good Reads”? Writing for University and Beyond: A Journal of First-Year Student Writing at UTM, 3(1), 67–72. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/writing/article/view/41706

Badklang, C., & Srinon, U. (2018). Analysis of Attitudinal Resources in an EFL University Classroom Talk in the Deep South of Thailand: An Appraisal Perspective. The New English Teacher, 12(2), 106–128. http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/newEnglishTeacher/article/view/3239

Driscoll, B., & Sedo, D. R. (2019). Faraway, So Close: Seeing the Intimacy in Goodreads Reviews. Qualitative Inquiry, 25(3), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800418801375

Fitriati, S. W., Solihah, Y. A., & Tusino, T. (2018). Expressions of Attitudes in Students’ Narrative Writing: An Appraisal Analysis. Lingua Cultura, 12(4), 333. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v12i4.4789

Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2004). An Introduction to Functional Grammar (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Istiningdias, D. S., Indrayani, L. M., Sujatna, E. T. S., & Wagiati. (2021). Attitudinal Meaning in COVID-19 Local Language Guidelines of Indonesia: A Systemic Functional Linguistic Study. Ranah: Jurnal Kajian Bahasa, 10(2), 240–251. https://doi.org/10.26499/rnh.v10i2.2243

Kuswoyo, H., Sujatna, E. T. S., Afrianto, & Rido, A. (2022). “This novel is not totally full of tears...”: Graduation Resources as Appraisal Strategies in EFL Students’ Fiction Book Review Oral Presentation. World Journal of English Language, 12(6), 294–303. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n6p294

Macken-Horarik, M. (2003). Appraisal and the Special Instructiveness of Narrative. Text & Talk, 23(2), 285–312. https://doi.org/10.1515/text.2003.012

Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2007). Working with Discourse: Meaning Beyond the Clause. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Martin, J. R., & White, P. R. R. (2005). The Language of Evaluation: Appraisal in English.

Neergaard, M. A., Olesen, F., Andersen, R. S., & Sondergaard, J. (2009). Qualitative Description–the Poor Cousin of Health Research? BMC Medical Research Methodology, 9(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-9-52

Novita, D., & Sujatna, E. T. S. (2019). Affect Analysis of Crime News in the Jakarta Post and the Jakarta Globe: a Study of Systemic Functional Linguistics. METAHUMANIORA, 9(2), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.24198/metahumaniora.v9i2.23548

Prastikawati, E. F. (2021). Attitude Perspective in BBC News’ Article: An Appraisal Analysis. Journal of English Language Studies, 6(2), 122–137. https://dx.doi.org/10.30870/jels.v6i2.10280

Saefullah, N. H., Sujatna, E. T. S., Ismail, N., & Haron, R. (2022). Pemanfaatan Sistem Appraisal sebagai Evaluasi terhadap Geowisata di Gunung Batur Bali dalam Travel Blog Prancis. Ranah: Jurnal Kajian Bahasa, 11(2), 273–287. https://doi.org/10.26499/rnh.v11i2.2325

Stollfuß, S. (2023). How to Talk About Books on Social Media: The German-Language Social Media Reviewer Sphere on Instagram. SAGE Open, 13(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231194461

Sujatna, E. T. S., & Kuswoyo, H. (2023). An Appraisal Perspective on Students’ Use of Attitudinal Resources in University EFL Academic Oral Presentations. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2195728

Ulfah, A. P., Sujatna, E. T. S., & Amalia, R. M. (2019). Engagement System in Syllabus of Same-Sex Marriage Legal Document of The United States: A Systemic Functional Linguistics. JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES, 2(2), 124–135. https://scholar.archive.org/work/62vmd5bnaza6nhnj6ad4dt4yfy/access/wayback/http://jaes.journal.unifa.ac.id/index.php/jes/article/download/71/35

Wang, D., & An, X. (2013). A Study of Appraisal in Chinese Academic Book Reviews. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(6), 874–886. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.4.6.1247-1252

Wang, K., Liu, X., & Han, Y. (2019). Exploring Goodreads Reviews for Book Impact Assessment. Journal of Informetrics, 13(3), 874–886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2019.07.003

White, P. R. R. (2015). Appraisal Theory. In K. Tracy (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Language and Social Interaction (1st ed., Vol. 1, pp. 1–7). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118611463/wbielsi041

Wihadi, M., & Sujatna, E. T. S. (2021). Attitudes on Halal Beauty Products: An Appraisal Analysis. | International Journal of Computer in Humanities, 1(1), 1–12. https://ojs.unikom.ac.id/index.php/injuchum/article/view/5490

Xinghua, L., & Thompson, P. (2009). Attitude in Students’ Argumentative Writing: A Contrastive Perspective. Language Studies Working Papers, 1(1), 3–15. https://www.reading.ac.uk/elal/-/media/project/uor-main/schools-departments/elal/lswp/lswp-1/ell_language_liu_and_thompson_vol_1.pdf?la=en&hash=B76F886040D9B3EFA8246CA5B4E7947E

Zhang, X. (2015). Comparative Study on the Appraisal Resources of China Daily’s Disaster News. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(10), 2118–2130. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0510.20

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24071/joll.v25i1.9091