RECOMMENDED STEPS IN TEXT ANALYSIS
Introduction: briefly define the
text type (the functional style and the
genre), the topic, the problems raised, the cultural and historical background of
the author and his text.
Useful tips: The first step includes defining the type of the text you are analysing.
genre), the topic, the problems raised, the cultural and historical background of
the author and his text.
Useful tips: The first step includes defining the type of the text you are analysing.
·
Is it a whole text or an extract?
If
it is fiction what genre does the text represent? It should be noted that
many texts have features of more than one genre (social, psychological, biographical, autobiographical, humorous, satirical, historical, detective, love, science fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, parable, allegory etc.). Such texts can be classified as the texts of a complex or mixed nature.
The next step would be defining the topic, the subject and the problems.
many texts have features of more than one genre (social, psychological, biographical, autobiographical, humorous, satirical, historical, detective, love, science fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, parable, allegory etc.). Such texts can be classified as the texts of a complex or mixed nature.
The next step would be defining the topic, the subject and the problems.
·
What is the text about?
·
What is the focus of the author’s attention?
·
What aspects of the topic are touched upon in the
text?
In
the introduction it is also essential to consider the historical and cultural
backgrounds of both the author and his text. These would include some biographical facts about the writer, especially his ethical, aesthetical, political etc.
views, his belonging to a certain literary and cultural tradition as well as the
elements of the setting of the story, including the time and place of the action,
some cultural and historical realia present in the text.
backgrounds of both the author and his text. These would include some biographical facts about the writer, especially his ethical, aesthetical, political etc.
views, his belonging to a certain literary and cultural tradition as well as the
elements of the setting of the story, including the time and place of the action,
some cultural and historical realia present in the text.
Analysis of the text
The analysis of the text starts
with presenting its summary.
Useful tips: Summarising the text must be done in accordance with certain
rules. First of all, you should select all important facts and events omitting
unnecessary details, then order them chronologically (or logically, depending on
the type and genre of the text) using appropriate connectors and linking expressions.
It should be remembered that no matter what register and style the original
text belongs to, the summary should be written in the neutral style. Wherever
possible, paraphrasing should be preferred to quoting.
Useful tips: Summarising the text must be done in accordance with certain
rules. First of all, you should select all important facts and events omitting
unnecessary details, then order them chronologically (or logically, depending on
the type and genre of the text) using appropriate connectors and linking expressions.
It should be remembered that no matter what register and style the original
text belongs to, the summary should be written in the neutral style. Wherever
possible, paraphrasing should be preferred to quoting.
Stylistic features of the text
The next part of the analysis deals with the stylistic
features of the text. It focuses on the language register, or combination of
different registers (formal, semi-formal, neutral, semi-informal, informal;
high-flown, poetic, casual, colloquial etc.) employed by the author, on
syntactic peculiarities of the text (types of sentences prevailing, rhetoric
questions, elliptical or inverted phrases, parallel constructions), special
choice of the vocabulary (terms, dialectisms, slang
etc.), stylistic tropes and the general tone or atmosphere of the text (serious, light, elevated, solemn, ironical, humorous, gloomy and so forth). The thorough analysis of these features will enable you to define the author's position, his/her attitude towards the subject of the story and its problems, towards the characters and their actions, and finally to understand properly the author's message, the main idea of the story.
etc.), stylistic tropes and the general tone or atmosphere of the text (serious, light, elevated, solemn, ironical, humorous, gloomy and so forth). The thorough analysis of these features will enable you to define the author's position, his/her attitude towards the subject of the story and its problems, towards the characters and their actions, and finally to understand properly the author's message, the main idea of the story.
