Sazaly, Kanza Namira Shafa (2026) THE CHARACTERIZATION ANALYSIS OF ATTICUS FINCH IN LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 3rd ed. NOVEL USING TRANSITIVITY SYSTEM. Undergraduate thesis, Faculty of Humanity.

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Abstract

This research analyzes the characterization of Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird 3rd edition novel using transitivity analysis within Halliday and Matthiessen’s Systemic Functional Linguistics framework. The study focuses on selected courtroom dialogues and narrative descriptions involving Atticus Finch, which were purposively sampled to maintain analytical focus and avoid repetitive trait representation. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, the analysis identifies the dominant transitivity processes associated with Atticus and examines how these linguistic patterns shape his character. The findings indicate that verbal processes are most prominent, presenting Atticus primarily as a speaker whose incisiveness, ethical principles, and compassion are expressed through controlled and purposeful speech. Material, behavioral, relational, and mental processes further support his principled conduct and empathetic disposition. Overall, the study demonstrates that Atticus Finch’s moral and intellectual identity is constructed through systematic linguistic choices, highlighting the role of language in shaping literary characterization.
Keywords: characterization, transitivity analysis, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird novel, courtroom scenes

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