Analysis of Text № 14

The text “The Reading Public” is written by a promonent Canadian author Stephen Leacock whose stories are full of sarcasm and contradictious criticism. He underlines the modern bourgeois society’s way of living and behaviour in various social situations. So, the author depicts real homan nature in such society.

The title of the story is not too difficult for comprehension and it is really possible to forsee that“The Reading Public” is represented in the story.

The text belongs to a belles-lettres style andsocial andpsychological genres. We can see that the action takes place in one of the biggest book stores in New York. A lot of people visit it. They have different interests, preferences and tastes and that’s why they are eager to choose their favourite books.

The text is a narration. It also contains some elements ofdescription. Such words and word-combinations asa widow judging by her black dress, a fashionably-dressed woman; he despised me, a tone of enthusiasm,a charming thing, a very sweet story; “Golden Dreams” was sold as the reading for a holiday, to another as the very book to read after a holiday, another bought as a book for a rainy day, and a fourth, as the right sort of reading for a fine day; “Among the Monkeys” was sold as a sea story, a land story, a story of the jungle, a story of the mountains witness about the personages’ appearance, behaviour and way of selling books. It is also possible to find out somepieces of dialogues between the manager of the book store and the customers. The author represents the events from the point of view of the author on one hand and from the point of view of the main characters on the other hand. All events are rather emotional, and even funny in some degree. All actions are consequent and dynamic. Certainly, the author doesn’t say directly that the manager of the book store is an eccentric, double-faced and hypocrisious person by nature and lets the reader draw his own conclusion and compose his personal opinion.

The main theme of the story isperson’s real nature in bourgeois society.The idea coincides with thetheme and exposes the contradictious human nature. The author doesn’t sympathize with the main characters and doesn’t remain aloof. He describes them in a humorous way and shows different funny and absurd facts.

The text under analysis consists of several parts.

There is no exposition in the text. Incomplication the manager’s intention to sell“the ten-cent series ancient classics”. Inclimax the manager’s assuarance that the customers will never read the books and confession that he isn’t married are represented.The climax coincides withdenouenment.

The text is finished on humorous and even ironical note and in some degree it is left for further suggestions.

Depending upon thre manner in which the narration is represented we can speak about the language of the story. It is emotional and abounds in different informal words and phrases. E.g. it is perfectly rotten, they never do, it’s the sweetest thing Mr. Slush has done. The text hasa descriptive character too. The above-represented words and phrases witness about it. From grammatical point of view it isnit too difficult. Practically all sentences are simple. The predominant tense is Past Indefinite. But on the other hand we can find out some passive constructions( “Golden Dreams was sold as exactly the reading for a holiday; “Among the Monkeys” was sold as a sea story etc);some perfect ones(“Haven’t you read it?”); degrees of comparison and Complex Subject( the most powerful thing, the prettiest thing, the sweetest thing; It seems rather expensive).

So, in general, the text isn’t very complicated and rather clear for understanding.