African-Americanism in August Wilson's discourse: A critical discourse analysis

August Wilson, as an Afro-American voice of American theater, has a special place for his masterpiece, Century Cycle in American literary history. Century Cycle reflects the social, economic, political and cultural atmosphere of the period from 1903 till 1997 and the effects of this atmosphere on Afro-American society. In this respect, Centruy Cycle bears historical, cultural and social documentary values. The aim of this study is to analyze Wilson's Century Cycle with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. CDA is a socio-linguistic research method shaped as a result of the attempts to apply linguistic concepts to the analization and theorization of social facts. The language turns into discourse with the inclusion of social and historical elements to the analysis, and discourse changes the CDA's analyzing material. Analyzing discourse in a historical and cultural unity enables us to reveal the relationship between discourse and other social factors such as power, ideology and social hierarchy. This study, which analyzes Wilson's discourse with CDA, aims to contribute to the understanding the lifestyle of Afro-Americans throughout their tragic history in America. Key Words: August Wilson, Century Cycle, Afro-Americans, Discourse, Critical Discourse Analysis.