This study interrogates the limits of conventional stylistic analysis by examining how instability, rather than coherence, constructs character identity in Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle. Anchored in discourse stylistics, identity construction theory, and post-structuralist perspectives, the research introduces “character anarchy” as a systematic framework for analyzing fluid and non-cohesive identities. Using a qualitative, text-based design, the study analyzes Howl’s dialogue through a coding scheme focusing on deixis, modality, evaluative language, tonal shifts, and contradictions. Findings reveal that Howl’s identity is not fixed but dynamically negotiated through language, in which deictic shifts signal unstable positioning, modal expressions encode ambivalence, and evaluative markers reveal layered, often conflicting attitudes. Moreover, contradictions and tonal oscillations function as deliberate stylistic strategies, producing a performative, context-dependent self that resists a unified interpretation. Rather than treating inconsistency as a narrative flaw, the study demonstrates that linguistic instability operates as a meaningful mechanism of characterization. By integrating micro-level linguistic features with macro-level theoretical insights, the proposed Character Anarchy Stylistic Framework (CASF) offers a replicable model for analyzing complex literary identities across texts and media. The study contributes to stylistics by reconceptualizing identity as emergent, fragmented, and discursively constructed, advancing methodological approaches that account for multiplicity and variation. In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), it further promotes critical and flexible reading practices that engage with textual complexity. Overall, the research positions character anarchy as a significant and innovative lens for understanding contemporary narrative characterization in literary and interdisciplinary studies.
Debuque et al. (Thu,) studied this question.