A Critical Discourse Study of The Midnight Library

Through a very personal and familiar story, Matt Haig's The Midnight Library examines the relationship between decisions, regret, and existential satisfaction. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is used in this research to analyze the linguistic and thematic structures of the text. It explores how language shapes the protagonist's identity, communicates social standards of pleasure and success, and challenges individual agency under more considerable societal restrictions using Fairclough's three-dimensional framework. This analysis of The Midnight Library's discursive techniques reveals how the book invites readers to discuss life's potential, constraints, and quest for purpose. This paper address the following research questions: How does Matt Haig create and question social standards around pleasure, prosperity, and personal fulfillment in The Midnight Library using language and metaphor? What stigmas related to mental health are addressed and criticized by The Midnight Library, and how do these criticisms connect with larger social discourses? In what ways does the novel's narrative and linguistic patterns illustrate the tension between societal forces and personal autonomy in Nora Seed's character development?