Analyzing
a story
(It was Friday
evening)
The Diction:
It is the selection of words. Well in this story the
author didn’t use many complex words that need to use the dictionary to clarify
the meaning more. Also the conversational language was so simple and absolutely
easily understood. Finally the author tends to use the formal Diction (academic
or literary writing) and avoid the informal Diction (personal writing).
The syntax: it is the sentence structure
and controls verbal pacing and focus.
- Sentence length:
Through this category we can determine
the length of the sentences. (Telegraphic – less than five words long. Short -
~ five words long. Medium - ~ eighteen words long. Long – more than 30 words long). According to that, the length of
the sentences of the story verifies between telegraphic, short and medium. The
author tends to use simple sentences, compound sentence and some
compound-complex sentences.
The author used (Repetition): Which is– words, sounds or ideas are used more than once to
enhance rhythm and create emphasis. An example from the story those sentences: (Miriam
sat at the window, looking down at the street. It was Friday evening. People
were already leaving their offices and the shops were closing. Soon she would
be alone again – as usual), which presented at the beginning of the story
and repeated again at the end.
While about the tenses: Most of the story was written in
the simple past tense.
The figurative devices:
With
regard to figurative devices we should ask ourselves two questions:
1- Did the author create
analogies, like similes or metaphors? Well the author didn’t use similes at all
in the whole story, but there was one statement had a metaphor which is: The
weeks which followed were a nightmare.
2-Did the author use
personification? Yes he did. But he didn’t use it so mush. Examples from the story:
the shops were closing.
Tomorrow would bring her reward.
The symbolism:
Symbolism is often used by writers to
enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a literary work more richness and
color and can make the meaning of the work deeper.
The author
didn’t use it richly in the story. But
there were some symbolic words such as:
Miserable
flat: This is symbolic because it tells us the poor condition of
the lady.
Luxury flat: This is symbolic because it represents the wealth.
A fur coat:
This is symbolic because it represents the wealth.
Sat at the window, looking down at the street: This is symbolic, because it tells us how lonely she was,
and she was waiting for something to happen.
A red sport car: This is symbolic because it represents the rich, youth and
the bold personality.
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