Figures of Unequality.

Relations of unequality are the relations of meanings of words and word-combinations which differ in their emotive intensiveness or logical importance. To this group we refer:

1) Figures based on actualizing emotional power of the utterance (climax, anticlimax), and 2) Figures based on two different meanings of words and word combinations (pun, zeugma).

Climax or gradation (Lat. gradatio – gradualness, Gr. climax – a ladder) – presents a structure in which every successive word, phrase, or sentence is emotionally stronger or logically more important than the preceding one. E.g. We got to Waterloo at eleven, and asked where the eleven-five started from. Of course nobody knew; nobody at Waterloo ever does know where a train is going to start from, or where a train when it does start is going to, or anything about it. (J.K. Jerome. Three Men in a Boat).

Gradual increase in emotional evaluation is realized by the distribution of the corresponding lexical units.

There are three types of climax:

1. The arrangement of some lexical units characterizing the object in the same emotional direction. E.g. “Grand view”, said Harris, - “Magnificent”, I agreed, - “Superb”, remarked George. (J.K. Jerome. Three Men…).

2. The arrangement of lexical units with logical widening of the notions. E.g. They looked at hundreds of houses, they climbed thousands of stairs, they inspected innumerable kitchens. (S. Maugham. The Escape).

3. In the third type gradation is a result of emphatic repetitions and enumerations. E.g. Not to go back was awful! To go back – more awful still! (J. Galsworthy. The Man of Property).

Gradation is widely used in fiction and publicistic style. It is one of the main means of emotional and logical influence over the reader and listener.

Anticlimax presents a structure in which every successive word, phrase or sentence is emotionally or logically less stronger than the preceding one: E.g. – Can’t you get a story out of it? He asked – Some sort of a story… - Not a line, said I. (O. Henry).

We can distinguish two types of anticlimax:

1. Gradual drop in intensity;

2. Sudden break in emotive power. In this case emotive and logical importance is accumulated only to be unexpectedly brought up to a sudden break. E.g. This was appalling and soon forgotten. (J. Galsworthy). Early to rise, early to bed makes a man healthy, wealthy and dead.

More examples: If John’s eyes fill with tears, you may have no doubt: he has been

eating raw onions.

Вовк – хижак, і хижак лютий, проте боятися його нема чого.

Anticlimax is often used as a means to achieve a humorous effect.

Pun is a stylistic device which uses a play of words based on polysemy, homonymy or phonetic similarity to achieve a humorous effect.

There are some kinds of puns:

1. Based on polysemy.

More examples: a) Visitor to a little boy:

- Is your mother engaged?

- Engaged? She is already married.

b) A young lady, weeping softly into her mother’s lap:

- My husband just can’t bear children!

- He needn’t bear children, my dear. You shouldn’t expect too much of

your husband.

2. On complete or partial homonymy:

Diner: Is it customary to tip the waiter in this restaurant?

Waiter: Why – ah – yes, sir.

Diner: Then hand me a tip. I’ve waited three quarters of an hour.

3. On phonetic similarity:

• I’ve spent last summer in a very pretty city in Switzerland.

• Berne? – No, I almost froze.

The pun is used for satirical and humorous purposes. Many jokes are based on puns.

Zeugma (Gr. zeugyana – to join, to combine) – is such a structural arrangement of an utterance in which the basic component is simultaneously an element of a phraseological unit and an element of a free word-combination. So it is a simultaneous realization within the same short context of two meanings of a polysemantic unit. E.g. If the country doesn’t go to the dogs or the Radicals, we shall have you Prime Minister some day. (O. Wilde). The verb “to go” realizes two meanings: to go to the dogs (to perish) and to go to the Radicals (to pass to…).

More examples: She lost her heart and her hat at the party.

Freddy got out of bed and low spirits.

Marry dropped a tear and her handkerchief.

Zeugma combines syntactical and lexical characteristics. Syntactically the same structures – parallel constructions, semantically – different meanings. Zeugma is a means of creating a humorous effect.