A PLAN OF DISCUSSING A STORY

1. Identify the genre of the text. Is it a short story, an extract

from a novel?

2. Into what distinct parts does the text fall?

3. Identify the main elements of the story:

a) historical and social background setting (when and where the

scene is laid);

b) the plot: introduction; the main body; climax; conclusion;

moral;

c) the main characters; 47

d) the theme of the subject matter of the story; major and minor

themes (what does the story deal with?);

4. What do you think of the author’s style? What means does the

author use to depict the main characters, to describe the setting, to

create the atmosphere of the story? (narration, description, dialogue,

character sketches, etc.).

5. Give brief character sketches (if there are characters). What

method (methods) of character portrayal is used? Are the characters

revealed fully or sketchily, directly or by implication?

6. Comment on the characteristic features of the language of the

text:

a) Is the language concrete, abstract, simple, ornate, verbal and

concise?

b) Does the author resort to linguistic expressive devices (synonymy, antonymy, phraseology)? Do they make the narrative (dialogue) more expressive or are they used mechanically?

c) What words strike you as particularly well-chosen? Give your

reasons.

d) Are there any sentences containing striking imagery? If so,

quote them and explain why the imagery is effective.

e) Indicate the use of stylistic devices (metaphors, similes, epithets, irony, hyperboles, etc.). Comment on their fitness and originality. If your text lacks such imagery, comment on the effectiveness of

this matter-of-fact style.

7. Indicate the variety (lack of variety) of the sentence construction. What is the effect produced in either case?

8. Assess the text, share impressions:

a) What do you think the title means? How does it relate to the

theme of the story?

b) Through whose eyes is the story told? Can you feel the author’s position, his affection toward the characters? Do you share the

author’s point of view?

c) What is the message of the story? What conclusions about life

and people does the story head to?

d) How much does the story help readers to understand human

nature and psychology of people, the nature of conflicts they face? 48

USEFUL VOCABULARY

Setting and Plot

the action takes place…

the story (scene) is set in…

(e.g. the story is set in London in the late 19th century)

the scene is laid in…

the setting of the story is…

the opening paragraph

the story opens with a description of… (a blue sky)

at the opening (at the end) of the story

the time-setting, the story covers…

as the plot progresses / goes on…

as the story unfolds…

the action is fast moving (slow moving), stands still

nothing much (special) happens

the suspense is maintained throughout the story

the author keeps the reader in suspense

exposition, introduction, knitting, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement

Questions to be asked:

What is the setting and the tie-setting of the story?

How does the story unfold? Does it move fast? Is the author a master

of suspense?

Is the author concerned with the plot? What is he after?

What is happening in the story? What is the story about?

Atmosphere, tone

to permeate /пронизывать (о духе произведения)/, to lend, to impart /придавать, создавать настроение/

in a vein /в ключе (в преобладающем духе, настроении, тоне)/: in

an ironical (sarcastic) vein

tone may be…

a) dry, unemotional, dispassionate, detached, even, aloof, impersonal, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth

b) elegiac, lyrical, satirical, nostalgic 49

to sustain the tone, to maintain the tone /быть выдержанным в оп-

ределенном тоне, не изменять ему/

the story has a richly humorous and ironic tone

Questions to be asked:

What is the dominant atmosphere?

How is the atmosphere sustained?

What images (cluster of images) impart (lend) the story on elegiac

(melancholy) tone?

What does the atmosphere of the story depend upon?

How does the passage begin?

On what note does it end?

How does the word choice (the syntax) contribute to the atmosphere?

In what vein does the writer tell this story?

Is he emotional or dry and practical?

What was the author’s attitude towards the subject? What kind of

emotion or feeling do you get after reading the story?

Conflict

external conflict, internal conflict

man vs. man (physical) conflict

man vs. circumstances (classical) conflict

man vs. society (social) conflict

man vs. himself/herself (psychological) conflict

the character struggles with/against

to be on a side of the central conflict

Questions to be asked:

What is the main problem in the story?

How and when was the conflict resolved? What is a good or bad outcome?

Character

main characters, central characters

minor characters

the hero – the heroine 50

Individual characters, developing characters, static characters

consistent, motivated, life-like characters

to draw, to present, to depict, to delineate a character /изображать

характер/

to portray the characters truthfully / convincingly

to give a truthful, lifelike, etc. representation of a character

to reveal, to unfold a character /раскрывать характер/

to observe, to examine, to explore a character /наблюдать, изучать

характер/

a character is revealed from within (from without) /характер рас-

крывается изнутри, через собственные поступки и психологию,

или со стороны/

a direct and indirect method of character drawing

to oppose the characters

to present the character against the background of…

to give a psychological insight into the character /дать глубокий

психологический анализ/

to discover the inner meaning of the character’s thoughts and actions

the weaknesses of the main character affect their actions

situation in which characters find themselves

the state of mind of the character

the main character learns his lesson at the end of the story

Questions to be asked:

Who or what is the story about?

How is the character drawn?

Is he presented sympathetically, convincingly, etc.? State your reasons fully.

The narrator, the point of view, the attitude

the narrator of the story

an aloof, remote, detached, dispassionate narrator

first-person narration, innocent eye, stream of consciousness, omniscient

the story is narrated in the first person

the story is told in the first (in the third) person 51

to present events from the point of view /изображать события с

точки зрения/

the story is told through the eyes of…

to present events through the eyes of the character (though the vision

of the character)

the author speaks in his own voice (through the character)

to be identified with

to comment upon the character

to pass moral judgment on

to impose (intrude) one’s opinion on the readers

to sympathize with the characters

the author feels sorry for / sympathises with the characters

take sides

to leave it for the reader to judge

to remain aloof, remote, detached, etc.

to record (to report) the events

the attitude toward the narrator changes as the story progresses

Questions to be asked:

Who is telling or narrating the story? Is one of the characters acting

as a narrator (first person), or is it as if someone is looking at them

and telling what is going on (third person)?

Does the author speak in his own voice or through the hero?

Does he moralize?

Does he comment upon?

Does he express his attitude to?

Is the attitude explicit or implicit?

Style, manner, method, techniques

a direct, explicit method /прямой, без иносказаний/

an indirect, implicit /непрямая, иносказательная манера/

to imply, to suggest /выражать не впрямую, подразумевать/

implications /подтекст/

a highly suggestive manner /манера, исполненная недосказанно-

стей/

a reserved manner /сдержанная манера/ 52

the story is rich in atmosphere and imagery that help create the narrator’s mood

to pay particular attention to the connection between the style and the

major theme

imagery reflects his/her feelings

the humour is expresses in the many descriptions the author builds

into the story

the ironic contrast between the characters’ actions and thoughts

the warm humour of the piece

the adjectives create the atmosphere…

the author exposes his characters’ weaknesses through a dialogue

peppered with jokes

the author employs a very descriptive method of characterization

which adds to the

humour of the writing

the absence of descriptive writing

to affect / not to affect the way the characters are presented/

… through the employment of powerful imagery

… lengthy descriptions prevail

… the action moves at a leisure pace

… the dialogue is kept to a minimum

… dialect-filled dialogue

a style bare of (comment, metaphors, epithets)

lucid, precise, laconic, economical style /ясный, точный, сжатый,

экономный/

wordy, pompous, obscure, verbose style /путанный, многословный/

metaphors – genuine, poetic, fresh, trite, stale, dead

a style abundant in (rich in or abounds in) metaphors, epithets

Questions to be asked:

What is the manner of the writer?

Is he explicit or implicit?

Is his style lucid or obscure?

What makes his prose precise and laconic?

Does the story abound in tropes (metaphors, epithets, etc.) or does

the writer use them sparingly? 53

Assessment of the story

humorous / detective / horror / love story

psychological story

the story is chiefly concerned with / chiefly deals with

to hold the reader’s attention

to keep the reader interested

it’s a very enjoyable story

the story deals with important / eternal problems

to have great merits

the author is trying to convey his thoughts about life

the main point the author is trying to make is…

the main idea he / she is trying to express

to carry a deep social (psychological) message

to feel optimistic / pessimistic at the end of the story

to increase the humour of the situation

the point of view of the story is filtered through the eyes of…

to grasp the full significance

the plot focuses on…

the plot has an unexpected twist

the story reaches a dramatic climax

characters: convincing; predictable; realistic; weak; original.

plot: boring; involving; dramatic; moving; entertaining; confusing;

exciting; dull;

funny.

Questions to be asked:

Do you like the story? Give your reasons fro liking (or disliking it).

What is the idea of the story?

How is the title of the story associated with the idea of the story?

Say a few words about the plot and characters. 54

EXPLANATION OF LITERARY TERMS

One of the keys to appreciate literature is an awareness of literary devices writers use to enrich their language and create complexity within a story. In order to understand the plot (the elements of

character, time, place and action in a story) and the themes (the subject of the story) you should be familiar with such stylistic devices as

metaphor, simile, symbol, etc.

Read the following explanation of some literary terms.

Setting

The setting of the story refers to the time and place in which the

action unfolds. It can also depict the society and its values. The setting helps us understand the characters and themes of the story. For

some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not.

There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present