A Stylistic Study of Dysphemism in Irvine Welsh’s Novel “Filth”

This study investigates the use of dysphemisms in Irvine Welsh’s novel “Filth” by focusing on two stylistic devices deviation and parallelism that constitute foregrounding. Stylistically speaking, speakers’/writers’ linguistic choices i.e dysphemisms have impacts or certain effects on the audience. Hence, dysphemisms especially in literary language should be investigated stylistically to show how and why speakers’/writers’ employ dysphemisms in their writings. Furthermore, it is significance to say that the stylistic analysis of dysphemisms used in this novel focuses on how the writer and characters of the novel employ those expressions in terms of deviation and parallelism. The purpose of this study is to investigate dysphemisms stylistically, as well as to show their types, functions and sources in the selected novel.
Moreover, the selected data which is the novel “Filth” can be characterized by the use of derogatory or offensive language that carries some realistic portrayal of the Edinburgh drug scene, police corruption, and the psychological struggles of its characters especially the protagonist of the novel Bruce Robertson. Based on “Stratified Sampling Method”, (30) extracts are selected from the middle of the chapters of the novel to be representatives for the purpose of the current study. The analyses reveal (42) types of different dysphemistic expressions with different functions and sources as well as the types of deviations and parallelisms that these expression carry. From a stylistic point of view, the writer and characters employ dysphemistic expressions in this novel for dark humour and to create a jarring compelling narrative tone. Furthermore, the derogatory language in this novel mirrors Robertson’s filthy thoughts, and captures his chaotic and self-destructive inner world. Additionally, these expressions disrupt the reader’s expectations and reinforce the novel destructive nature.