A discourse analysis of selected truth and reconciliation commission testimonies: appraisal and genre

Abstract

This thesis is a discourse analysis of five testimonies from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The aim of the analysis is to explore the ways in which the testifiers perform their identities, construe their experiences of life under apartheid, and position themselves and their audiences in relation to these experiences. The shaping role of context – both local and historical – is also considered.