To spark memories of past experiences

Reflective narrative

To hold one’s interest

To hold personal significance

General experience

Powers of observation and description

The author uses descriptive details to set a scene/ narrates the story of…/presents a dominant impression, or angle -…/ uses dialogue to present information/ uses precise, vivid words to describe the action/ reinforces the dominant impression in the conclusion

All elements contribute to the mood

A skillful writer manipulates elements consciously to change the mood

A huge proportion of stories are set “abroad” examining a clash of cultures

2.4. Thematic formation. Gist and problem identification

The text can be confined to certain thematic content setting up the flow of information in the form of a message. Theme is the word that describes a novel’s central or leading topic, commonly as of high topicality, of great social importance, or of eternal value. Themes are often expressed through conflict, which may be external (between the characters and the society) and internal (when characters are in opposition to themselves).

The key topical points must be included into the analysis that will enable you to check that they are relevant and represent a logical natural progression while maintaining overall thematic balance. In order to comprehend the theme, it is required to examine closely what the author is implying, i.e. the meaning beyond the action. When looking at the thematic structure, you might look for conflicts, ambiguities, uncertainties, tensions, key relationships, as these give clear guides to the direction of meanings in the text.

Thematic content involves presentation of states-of-affairs and covering processes, activities, relationships, participants, attendant circumstances, ascribed attributes. Normally, the themes or main concerns emerge through the details of the narration, images and symbols, the narrative tone and stance.

Text is fully understood and appreciated to the extent that the nature and interrelations of its parts are perceived, and that understanding will take the form of insight into the theme of the work in question.

There are many messages communicated through the text, and what we see on the surface is really only the tip of the iceberg. A certain sum of kernel arguments, around one and the same idea proved from different angles, serve the purpose of disclosing the common idea of narration, i.e. the conception that permits one to speak of the solidity of the text. Three items must be taken into account:

• consider what is said, particularly subtleties of the imagery and the ideas expressed;

• assess how it is said, considering how the word choice, the ordering of ideas, sentence structure contribute to the meaning of the passage;

• explain what it means, tying your analysis of the passage back to the significance of the text as a whole.

Such orientation appears to be really helpful in showing how the resources of the text are used to create its meaningfulness.

Obviously, one is intended to recognize the problems posed (solved or unsolved); certain qualities of response, taste, experience, value are called forth so that to do ‘problem solving activities’, aimed at adequate understanding of structure of values, world-view, ideological assumptions. Any kind of writing tends to use cultural codes and the structuring devices of narrative in order to offer a complex understanding of the raised problems. One theme can raise different problems: social and political, moral, cultural, philosophical.

Concept and ideas are usually abstract rather than concrete, and that makes them more challenging to explain as a writer can use a wide variety of techniques to bring them about. Idea is the main generalizing thought setting the base of the whole literary work, it expresses the author’s attitude to the theme described. The author’s idea presents one’s subjective evaluation, it can correspond to the reader’s view or not; the objective idea can exceed the author’s conclusions. In this respect summary comes up as an essential element presenting the basic meaning of a piece in your own words through condensing a passage without sacrificing its meaning. In particular, a summary is a short statement that contains an interpretation of the most important ideas in a text.

Questions: What is the theme of the extract? Does the story address any universal problem or experience, or does it teach a lesson? Does it reflect any particular set of religious or political beliefs? Start with the basic situation, and move to consider any key statements, any obvious or less obvious conflicts, tensions, ambiguities, key relationships. What is the main idea of the extract? To what problems does the story address? Are these problems just posed or solved? How are the arguments organized to develop problem-solving activities? What moral issues is the author concerned about? Which episodes make the main idea the most perceptible? Give the short summary of the text.

Language in use for analysis

The title/heading is suggestive of …/might well be applied to …

The ideas are in the perfect keeping with…

The author confines himself to …

dominant impression…

The author explores the subject by presenting different viewpoints…

The ideas intrigue me…

to read between the lines

The excerpt presents the view on…

The passage is crucial for comprehension of…

By using the clues…

The information contained in the text helps to work out the meaning …/is concerned with moral issues

The main ideas are inferred…

When skimming the extract for general ideas…

This information is helpful to illustrate the point which…

The passage offers a wonderful example of the way in which the author renders…

Ideas are reproduced with great precision testifying to …

It seems to be a battlefield of conflicting ideas…

Based on perfect knowledge of all aspects of life …

The text brings forth the main points of the issues… / It brings to light…

The passage is also significant as it sets forth the conception of … / ideas illustrative of the gravest issues of the time / sums up two widely different viewpoints / throws light upon the most vital problems of …

The development of understanding is further on enhanced by…

Guesses are supported by reference to…

Within the first lines…

It provides the opportunity for new insights into …

The message of the story is significant and original, not a cliche

Theme grows out of the events in the story

The information is helpful to illustrate the point that…

The text shares a theme common…

The information contained in the text enables to work out the thematic items…

The reader is made fully aware of the theme…

The author brings together…

In the present case the subject-matter is unmistakably discerned in …

The effect of adequate understanding of problems is achieved by means of facts brimful of meaning

problems embedded in the text…

What comes as the matter of the biggest concern is that…

The issues put forward by the author cover the areas …

The text covers/focuses on/tackles the problem of…

The main point that interests the writer is…

The reader is made fully aware of the theme

It is made quite clear that …

The effect is further enhanced…

The story is of interest because…

By way of commenting on the subject it might be of interest to point out…

to establish (set up) conflict