Lecture 12

1. The category of discreteness

a. partitioning: SPU and paragraph

b. compositional structure

presentational sequencing =

the sum of the main events in a chronological order reproduced by a reader

what happened in the fictional reality

plot =

underlying compositional structure of a literary work

how these happenings are presented in a fictional text

classical distribution of the plot elements:

–exposition

–plot complications / conflicts (external/internal) – rising action

–climax / crisis / turning point / culmination

–denouement / resolution – falling action

Types of the narrative structure:

1.simple = a straight story-line

2.inverted = deviations from the usual order

3.frame = with a subplot (secondary / parallel to the main plot)

2. The category of integration/integrity =

unification of all parts of a text for achieving its unity (wholeness)

a.structural / outer / formal unity = cohesion

b. semantic / internal unity = coherence

A. Cohesive means

- elements which indicate semantic incompleteness of its fragments (but, in spite of, later, that’s how it was, on the other hand)

- communicative correlation of different components of the text

(question-answer, imperative-reaction)

- different kinds of repetition

“You don’t want to make a trip like that alone”, Albert said. Shut up”, said Harry. ……

“It would be better alone, but I don’t think I can handle it alone. It would be much better alone.” …….

“A man”, Harry Morgan said, looking at them both. “One man alone ain’t got no bloody chance”. He shut his eyes. It had taken him a long time to get it out and it had taken him all of his life to learn it. E. Hemingway. To Have or Have not

- SD of different levels (parallelism, antithesis)

Deep ditches, double drawbridge, massive stone walls, eight great towers, cannons, muskets, fire and smoke. …

Deep ditch, single drawbridges, massive stone walls, eight towers, cannon, muskets, fire smoke. …

Cannon, muskets, fire and smoke, but still the deep ditch, the single drawbridge, the massive stone walls and the eight towers. ….

Defarge over the lowered drawbridge, past the massive stone walls, in among the eight great towers surrendered! (Ch. Dickens A Tale of Two Cities)

b. coherence = the semantic unity of the text

Factors which ensure coherence:

1. the communicative intention of the author =

a. modality

b. the pragmatic aim

a. modality =

The author’s subjective perception and evaluation of reality types of modality

1. objective – correlation of the content of the text and the objective reality (fairy-tales, science fiction)

2. subjective - the attitude of the author to the events and facts described

Люди мало чуткие к искусству, думают часто, что художественное произведение составляет одно целое, потому что в нем действуют одни и те же лица, потому что все построено на одной завязке или описывается жизнь одного человека. Это несправедливо.

Это только так кажется поверхностному наблюдателю: цемент, который связывает всякое художественное произведение в одно целое и оттого производит иллюзию отражения жизни, есть не единство лиц и положений, а единство самобытного нравственного отношения автора к предмету. (Л. Толстой)

B. The pragmatic aim

=

The author’s aim to influence the reader:

election manifestos, orders, business letters, instructions, questionnaires

Types:

- explicit (Dear reader, …)

- implicit (foregrounding of conceptually important elements)

Мама, сказка, каша, кошка, книжка, яркая обложка,

Буратино, Карабас, ранец, школа, первый класс,

грязь в тетради, тройка, двойка, папа, крик, головомойка,

Пушкин, Дарвин, Кромвель, Ом, Менделеев, Герострат,

бал прощальный, аттестат,

институт, экзамен, нервы, конкурс, лекция, курс первый,

тренировки, семинары, песни, танцы, тары-бары,

точность знаний, чет-нечет, радость, сессия, зачет,

общежитье, взятка-мизер ,кинотеатр и телевизор,

карандаш, лопата, лом, пятый курс, проект, диплом,

кульман, шеф, конец квартала, цех, участок, план по валу,

ЖСК, гараж, квартира, теща, юмор и сатира,

детский сад, велосипед, карты, шахматы, сосед,

сердце, печень, лишний вес, возраст, пенсия, собес,

юбилей, часы-награда,речи, памятник, ограда. О. Молотков

2. the thematic unity of the text = common theme and concept

E.L. Doctorow “Ragtime” =revolutionary changes in the American society under the influence of a new musical trend

3. the compositional-genre unity =

reference to a certain FS /genre (a detective story)