SavedAdd your journal

Journals / HUMANITAS - Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 14 Sayı: Ek Sayı

THE LANGUAGE AS RESISTANCE: IDENTITY, SURVIVAL, AND FUTURE IN PATRICIA FORDE’S THE WORDSMITH

Semahat Aysu(NAMIK KEMAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0001-6431-9983
Suzan Deniz(TEKIRDAG NAMIK KEMAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-5963-5719
Pages
77–93
Publication Date
2026-07-02
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The thematic analysis also shows that language in The Wordsmith defines human existence as a source of resistance and hope rather than just a tool for communication.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines Patricia Forde’s The Wordsmith, a dystopian novel which depicts a society in which language use is controlled and the ability to communicate is used as a tool of oppression by those in positions of power.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Letta (the protagonist) is quite reactive when she is ordered to shorten the list from 700 words to 500, which leads to butchering the language more.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The thematic analysis also shows that language in The Wordsmith defines human existence as a source of resistance and hope rather than just a tool for communication.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dijital beşeri bilimler · Dil kontrolü · Liste

Abstract

This study examines Patricia Forde’s The Wordsmith, a dystopian novel which depicts a society in which language use is controlled and the ability to communicate is used as a tool of oppression by those in positions of power. Linguistic authority is a central issue in this novel. Letta (the protagonist) is quite reactive when she is ordered to shorten the list from 700 words to 500, which leads to butchering the language more. The loss of functional and grammatical items, along with content words leaves a limiting effect on individuals’ lives. Language prohibition represents a destruction of identity, memory, and thought in addition to the loss of words. Letta’s struggle represents an attempt to preserve language as a way to reconnect both with nature and humanity, and to rewrite one’s own sense of self. On the other hand, Noa’s (the antagonist’s) decision to silence humanity in the interest of preserving nature serves as an example of how power uses the concept of “good” to defend control. The present study aims to analyse the frequency and thematic distribution of words in the novel. MAXQDA 24 was used for thematic analysis, supported by visual data representations. The thematic analysis also shows that language in The Wordsmith defines human existence as a source of resistance and hope rather than just a tool for communication.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Patricia Forde’nin Liste [The Wordsmith] adlı distopik romanını incelemektedir. Bu roman, dil kullanımının kontrol edildiği ve iletişim becerisinin iktidar sahipleri tarafından baskı aracı olarak kullanıldığı bir toplumu anlatmaktadır. Dil otoritesi bu romanda merkezi bir konudur. Letta (romanın kahramanı), dilin katledilmesine yol açan 700 kelimelik listeyi 500 kelimeye indirgemesi emredildiğinde oldukça tepki gösterir. İşlevsel ve gramer öğelerinin yanı sıra içerik kelimelerinin kaybı, bireylerin yaşamları üzerinde sınırlayıcı bir etki bırakır. Dil yasağı, kelimelerin kaybının yanı sıra kimlik, hafıza ve düşüncenin yok edilmesini de temsil eder. Letta’nın mücadelesi hem doğa hem de insanlıkla yeniden bağlantı kurmanın bir yolu olarak dili korumaya ve kişinin kendi benlik algısını yeniden yazmaya yönelik bir çabayı temsil ediyor. Öte yandan, Noa’nın (antagonist) doğayı korumak adına insanlığı susturma kararı, iktidarın kontrolünü savunmak için “iyilik” kavramını nasıl kullandığının bir örneği olarak hizmet ediyor. Bu çalışma, romandaki kelimelerin sıklığını ve tematik dağılımını analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Tematik analiz için MAXQDA 24 kullanılmış ve analiz görsel veri sunumlarıyla desteklenmiştir. Tematik analiz, Liste’deki dilin insan varlığını sadece bir iletişim aracı olarak değil, direniş ve umut kaynağı olarak tanımladığını da göstermektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Aysu, S., Deniz, S. (2026). THE LANGUAGE AS RESISTANCE: IDENTITY, SURVIVAL, AND FUTURE IN PATRICIA FORDE’S THE WORDSMITH. HUMANITAS - Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 14 Sayı: Ek Sayı, 77–93. https://doi.org/10.20304/humanitas.1920565

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (19)

  1. Aladağ, F. (2020). Dijital beşerî bilimler ve Türkiye araştırmaları: Bir literatür değerlendirmesi. Türkiye Araştırmaları Literatür Dergisi, 18(36), 773-796.
  2. Atenstaedt, R. (2012). Word cloud analysis of the BJGP. The British Journal of General Practice, 62(596), 148.
  3. Bach, J., Peters, E., Bourgeois, J. (2019). Teaching students the “what-ifs”: Conversations on YA speculative fiction. The English Journal, 109(2), 39-46.
  4. Berry, D. M. (2011). The computational turn: Thinking about the digital humanities. Culture Machine, 12, 1-22.
  5. Booker, M. K. (1994). Dystopian literature: A theory and research guide. Greenwood Press.
  6. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
  7. Carter, B. (2013). Digital humanities: Current perspective, practices and research. Cutting-Edge: Technologies in Higher Education Series.
  8. Claeys, G. (2016). Dystopia: A natural history. Oxford University Press.
  9. Collectif Multitudes. (2015). Digital Humanities Manifesto 2.0. Multitudes, 59(2), 181–195. https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_MULT_059_0181--digital-humanities-manifesto-20.htm. Accessed: 25.03.2026
  10. Davidson, C. N. (2008). Humanities 2.0: Promises, perils, predictions. PMLA, 123(3), 707-717. Demir, S. & Güleç, İ. (2024). Küresel karşılaştırmalı gelişimsel bir değerlendirme: Türkiye’de dijital beşeri bilim merkezleri. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(4), 447-458.
  11. Forde, P. (2015). The wordsmith. Little Island Books.
  12. Gerber, R. (1955). Utopian fantasy. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
  13. Gottlieb, E. (2001). Dystopian fiction east and west: Universe of terror and trial. McGill-Queen’s Press.
  14. Haschak, P. G. (1994). Utopian/dystopian literature. Scarecrow Press.
  15. Piez, W. (2008). Something called “digital humanities”. Digital Humanities Quarterly, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.63744/3eec37vuvn4a
  16. Raben, J. (2007). Introducing issues in humanities computing. Digital Humanities Quarterly, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.63744/ycs4gpjnqu9x
  17. Svensson, P. (2010). The landscape of digital humanities. Digital Humanities Quarterly, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.63744/5dhf3ymfs2gg
  18. Svensson, P. (2016). Big digital humanities: Imagining a meeting place for the humanities and the digital. University of Michigan Press.
  19. Thompson Klein, J. (2015). Interdisciplining digital humanities: Boundary work in an emerging field. University of Michigan Press.