Abstract

This paper explores the manifestation of verbal violence in Festus Iyayi’sViolence. It argues that, like physical aggression, verbal hostility inflicts significant harm on individuals. To achieve its thematic goal, the study situates its analysis within the social and cultural contexts portrayed in the novel. Instances of verbal abuse are identified, categorised, and examined through both qualitative and quantitative approaches to uncover recurring patterns in the speech of aggressors. The central focus is to expose the linguistic structures employed by perpetrators and to examine the effects of such verbal assaults on their victims. The study adopts Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework, which foregrounds the role of language in shaping social relations and ideologies. The findings reveal that language constitutes a crucial tool in societal interactions and should, therefore, be critically examined as a medium of verbal violence, as demonstrated in Iyayi’sViolence and its contemporary relevance.