Language Game Analysis of the Speech of the Oppressed and Oppressors in Muhammad Hanif’s Red Birds

Abstract

This research paper explores and analyses the speech of both the oppressed and the oppressors in Red Birds (2018), authored by British Pakistani novelist Muhammad Hanif. The research utilises qualitative textual analysis while applying Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Language Games framework, using his notable propositions from Philosophical Investigations (1953) and Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921). Red Birds serves as a significant fictional portrayal of the impact of oppression on people who face it in a post-war setting with postcolonial context. The paper demonstrates that the characters of the novel convey their feelings by means of language. The study analyses the thoughts, monologues, and dialogues through Language Games framework and reveals the emotional and psychological toll of oppressive tactics on the oppressed. The paper argues that individuals employ different language games to express their emotions. It contributes towards the enhancement of our understanding of Wittgenstein’s concept of language games and emphasises the need for further research in the future.