DISCUSSION OF THE TEXT AND ITS ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF MACRO- AND

MICROCOMPONENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF POETIC STRUCTURE COHESION

C1
PRESENTATION OF THE TEXT,
STYLE AND GENRE

1. Introduce the text under analysis. What is its title? Who is it written by?
2. Define the style and the genre the text belongs to.

THEME
1. What does the extract in question deal with?
2. Summarize the essence of the text in one or two sentences thus formulating its theme.
3. Does the basic theme alternate with any rival themes?

THE SETTING, CHARACTERS, CONFLICT

1. Where and when does the action take place?
2. Is the setting briefly sketched or is it described in detail?
3. What functions does the setting of the story have? Does the setting:
 contribute to creating mood and atmosphere?
 reflect the inner state of the character?
 place the characters in a recognizable realistic environment?
 influence the characters' behavior?
 reinforce the personages’ characterization?
 reveal certain features of the character?
4. How many characters are depicted in the story? Enumerate them. Who is the major
character?
5. What type of conflict is the plot based on? Is it a conflict of the protagonist with
another individual? With society? Within himself?

LOGICAL DIVISION OF THE TEXT

1. Divide the text into logically complete parts.
2. Find the sentences which signal this division.

PLOT AND PLOT STRUCTURE

1. How is the story structured? Are all components of the plot available in the present
text? Do they correlate with its logical division?
2. What is the role of the exposition?
3. How many events form the story (complication)?
4. What event serves to be the climax of the story?
5. Is there a denouement in the story?
6. Make a brief summary of the facts conveyed by the text either according to its logical
division or according to the development of the plot.
 COMPOSITIONAL STRUCTURE
1. Comment on the compositional peculiarities of the text. What narrator does M. Twain
choose to tell this story? What effect does the author's choice of narrator have on the
impact of the story?
2. What compositional patterns (types of narration) prevail?
3. Define the function of the author’s remarks in the first part of the text. How does
description intermingle with his evaluative intrusions?

TONE
1. What is the general tenor (tone) of the excerpt? Differentiate ironic and humorous
parts.
2. What types of irony and humour are observed in the text under consideration? Give
your arguments.

MESSAGE
1. Define the message (the idea, conceptual information drawn from the implication) of
the excerpt.
2. Is there more than one message in the work?

C2
CHARACTERIZATION OF IMAGES AND CONVEYING THE AUTHOR’S MESSAGE

1. What images are created by the author to convey the message? Which of them lend
the story a humorous effect?
2. Are the personages characterized directly or indirectly? Pick out the words which the
author uses to characterize his personages directly.
3. What means of indirect character-drawing does M. Twain resort to (use)?
4. Give a character sketch of Tom. How does the author reflect his mood? Support your
view by reference to the text of the story and linguistic means used by the author.
5. What means does the author use to characterize the divine service, the congregation
present, the prayer (people, prayer)?
6. What means of characterization does the writer employ to create:
 the image of the fly?
 the image of the beetle?
 the image of the poodle-dog?
7. What means is the humorous effect created by? Is the particular setting essential for
creating such an effect or could the story have happened anywhere at any time?
8. Define the choice of words and stylistic devices used in rendering a dull, lazy
atmosphere of a hot summer day.
9. Give a complete summary of your comments.