The Image Theory. The System of Tropes.

1. The Image Theory. The notion of the image. Its functions.

2. Tropes. The structure of a trope. Types of tropes:

1. metaphor, metonymy, irony, antonomasia;

2. epithet, oxymoron, hyperbole, zeugma, pun;

3) semi-marked structures.

Tasks

1. Give examples of tropes. (You may use Appendix I).

Seminar 6

The System of Syntactical

and Lexico-Syntactical Stylistic Devices

1. Syntactical SD:

1. the length and structure of a sentence;

2. rhetorical questions;

3. one-member sentences;

4. complete and elliptical sentences, aposiopesis;

5. inversion and a specific arrangement of sentence;

6. polysyndeton and asyndeton;

7. parallel constructions and chiasmus;

8. suspense;

9. detachment.

2. Lexico-syntactical SD:

1. simile;

2. antithesis;

3. climax and anti-climax;

4. litotes;

5. periphrasis

6. repetitions.

Tasks

I. Give examples of syntactical and lexico-syntactical SD. (You may use Appendix I).

Seminar 7

Text as the Object of Stylistic Analysis

1. The notion of the text. The main characteristics of the text.

2. The principles of the text organization.

3. The theme and the message.

4. The structure of the text.

5. Types of foregrounding and their functions (convergence, coupling, defeated expectancy).

Text for analysis

1. John Cheever “Reunion”.

Tasks

I. Prove that the story by J. Cheever is a text.

II. Comment on the structure of the story.

III. Point out in the story examples of convergence, coupling and defeated expectancy.

IV. What is the theme of the story? What is its message? Prove your point of view. Give a thorough analysis of the text.

What kind of narration is it? What can you say about the narrator? What is his age? Why has the author chosen the naive narrator? Is any judgement passed on any of the personages? Comment on the contrasting moods of the boy framing the story. Find in the text signals showing the change of his mood.

What can you say about his father? Comment on his social status, way of living. Prove your answers. Explain the father’s behaviour. Was he glad to see his son? Why did he ask his secretary to answer his son’s letter and to arrange the meeting? Why was there smell of whiskey on his breath? Why didn’t he invite his son to his club? Why did he take him from one restaurant to another? What did they talk about? Whom did the father mostly talk to? Why did he insult the waiters and the newsstand man? Why did he behave like that? Whose behaviour does it resemble? Did the boy enjoy their meeting? Did his expectations of seeing his father come true? Comment on the title of the story. Who is to blame in the situation?

Seminar 8 Stylistic Analysis of the Text

1. Main approaches to stylistic analysis of the text.

2. The context.

3. Types of narration.

Text for analysis

1. Doctorow E. The Water Works.

Tasks

I. Choose one of the approaches and analyse the story.

What is the conflict? What parts are involved into the conflict? Comment on the atmosphere in the text. What means does the author choose to create the atmosphere? What impression does the description of the weather and the building make on the reader? What stylistic means does the author employ to portray the water? What verbs prevail in the portrayal? Why?

Has the episode with the toy boat any symbolic meaning? In what emotional key is the death of the boy presented in the story? What feelings do the water workers express taking his body out of water? Why?

Dwell on the image of the protagonist. What is the protagonist’s job? Why did he come to the water works? What did he do there?

What can you say about the narrator of the story? Why did he call the protagonist “my man”? What did he do there? Did he take an active part in the events? Where did he watch the water workers’ actions from? How did the horse and the water workers react at him? Why has the author chosen such a narrator?

Who is winning in the conflict? What is the theme of the story? What is its idea?