Title:
ANALYSING WOMEN’S LANGUAGE IN LORRAINE HANSBERRY’S A RAISIN IN THE SUN: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC APPROACH

Authors:
Dr. Nassourou IMOROU and Amadou SALAMI *,Benin

Abstract:
Drawing on Lakoff’s theory of women’s language, the present study examines the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959, in order to find out if all the characteristics of women’s language are present in the speech of the female characters of the play and not in that of the male characters of the play. Basing on the sampling method, two extracts have been selected from the play. The findings show that some of these linguistic features can’t be found in the speech of the female characters whereas others are found in the speech of the male characters. The results thus prove that the use of women’s language is not a question only of sex or status, but also of other factors such as need, appropriateness, setting, level of literacy and social community.