Lecture № 1. Lingustic aspect of text interpretation

1. Distinctive features of a literary text and other types of texts.

2. The notion of text interpretation.

3. The notion of the meaning, and the content of the text.

4. The subject-matter and aims of text interpretation as an academic subject.

5. Text interpretation analysis as opposed to stylistic analysis.

6. Approaches to text interpretation (based on the preference of one of the textual senses).

7. Basic schools of literary criticism.

8. A semiotic approach to text interpretation.

Literary text :: other types of texts

Text ─ is any sequence of words ordered according to the rules of a given language

• any sequence of signs having a piece of information (a picture, a dance, a note);

• any verbal communicative event (between the author and the reader) performed in written or oral mode;

In literary poetics text creates an imaginary picture of the objective reality due to a specific figurative language it employs.

Fictional VS non-fictional texts

Literary text

• Creates the imaginary reality

• Interprets the objective realty indirectly, by images

• Free structural patterns (a certain degree of creative freedom)

• The author’s individuality is evident

Other types of texts

• Create the objective realty

• Interpret the objective realty directly

• Rigid structural patterns (strict requirements to graphical form, grammar, vocabulary)

• The author’s individuality is ruled out by strict norms

Objective and subjective factors

Literary text ─ is a result of the author’s multitude choices, which are predetermined by objective:

• different cultural, social and historical conditions

• dominant ideological views

• aesthetic standards

• artistic literary trends

Subjective factors

• age, gender, education

The notion of text interpretation

When we interpret a text we explain it to ourselves and try to make sense of it. We form subjective impressions of it but we have objective considerations in mind when we interpret it. On the other hand, no reading of a story is objective, it is influenced by our particular language, culture and experience. It is one way of understanding the text among many.

Interpretation ─ is an act, process, or result of explaining the meaning of the text and elucidating the sense of the text.

The notion of the meaning, and the content of the text

The meaning of the text ─ the information rendered directly by language units.

The content of the text ─ is a hierarchy of senses which embraces textual meaning (the universal sense) which is independent, the author’s sense and the reader’s sense.

The author’s sense ─ the implicit content of the text.

The reader’s sense ─ the implicit content of the text.

Textual meaning

• Explicit

• Derived from direct meanings of language units

• Objective (universal), understood directly

• unambiguous

Textual sense

• Implicit

• Reconstructed through hidden meanings according to the author’s intention

• Subjective, understood differently by different readers

• multiple

The subject-matter and aims of text interpretation as an academic subject

As an academic subject Text interpretation is aimed at developing students’ skills of professional competent analytical reading of literary texts based on linguostylistic analysis.

The rules of governing text production and interpretation, which are described as different cultural codes, genres, discourses, and styles are the object of Text Interpretation.

Interpretation relies on our intellectual comprehension rather than on our emotional response of a literary text.

Interpretation involves four related intellectual acts: observing, connecting, inferring and evaluating.

TEXT INTERPRETATION VS LINGUOSTYLISTICS

• Explicit level of the text

• Expressive stylistic means and stylistic devices

• Pragmatic aims

• The analysis goes from the text as a whole to its constituents

The focus is on WHAT THE AUTHOR SAID

• The analysis goes from the constituents parts of the text to the generalization of its senses

• The focus is on WHAT THE AUTHOR INTENDED TO SAY