The novelette The Dark, the Light written by Australian writer, Helen Garner, is found to be a literary discourse with many potential meanings thoroughly and subtly realized by means of the multi-functions of the comma, the foregrounding of light and colors, the chorus monologue narrative, the interactivity between characters in the story and the transitivity of verbs. The study is carried out with an effort, and also a purpose, to integrate literary critical theories and discourse analysis so that both approaches will prove and support each other for a more comprehensive and objective understanding of literary works.