A Critical Discourse Study of The Midnight Library
Keywords:
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Existentialism, Identity Construction, Mental Health, Ideologies of SocietyAbstract
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library uses a very familiar, personal story to unpack the relationship between decisions, regret, and existential well-being. This research utilizes a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to analyze the linguistic and thematic structures embedded in the text. Fairclough's three-dimensional framework investigates the process of language formation and meaning construction that affects identity, intimacy, and the social meaning of pleasure and success, unpacking how these collective and transmitted authoritarian social norms inhibit individual agency. Analyzing The Midnight Library in this light elucidates the discursive techniques that make it a tangible discussion on life's potential, constraints, and quest for purpose. The following research questions are addressed in this paper:
1. Does Haig use words and metaphors in The Midnight Library to create and challenge norms about pleasure, fortune, and personal fulfilment?
2. What mental health stigmas are under examination and criticism in The Midnight Library, and how do these criticisms relate to broader social discourses?
3. How do the narrative and linguistic patterns of the novel encapsulate the tension between broader societal forces and individuals’ free will as it pertains to Nora Seed’s evolution?
References
Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Polity Press.
Haig, M. (2020). The Midnight Library. Canongate Books.
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Foucault, M. (1972). The archaeology of knowledge. Pantheon Books.
Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Yousif Ali Yousif, Dr Doaa Taher Matrood (Author)
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