Represented speech

There are 3 ways of RS: direct, indirect and represented. RS is representation of the utterance by a second person, usually the author, as if it had been spoken, but is only represented in the author's words. In RS we come across features typical both of direct and indirect speech. The features of the DS: 1) the use of interrogative and negative sentences 2) the use of evaluative words 3) the use of local colloquial words.

The features of IS: 1) the use of sequence of tenses 2) the use of third person instead of first and second 3) usually shows the shift from the author's narration to the character's utterance. A remark or whole dialogue may be included into author's narration. There are 2 varieties: Uttered represented speech demands that the tense should be switched from present to past and that the personal pronouns should be changed from 1st and 2nd person to 3rd person as in indirect speech, but the syntactical structure of the utterance does not change.

Inner speech is a psychological phenomenon. But when it is wrought into full utterance, it ceases to be inner speech, acquires a communicative function and becomes a phenomenon of language. The expressive function of language is suppressed by its communicative function, and the reader is presented with a complete language unit capable of carrying information. This device is called inner represented speech. Inner represented speech retains the most characteristic features of inner speech.

Inner represented speech, unlike uttered represented speech, expresses feelings and thoughts of the character which were not materialized in spoken or written language by the character.

Inner represented speech, unlike uttered represented speech, is usually introduced by verbs of mental perception

24. Stylistic use of structural meaning (rhetorical question, litotes)

Rhetorical question is a special syntactical stylistic device, the essence of which consists in reshaping the grammatical meaning of the interrogative sentence. In other words, the question is no longer a question but a statement expressed in the form of the interrogative sentence. Rhetorical questions are structurally embodied (воплощ) in complex sentences with the subordinate clause containing the pronouncement. e.g. Is the poor privilege to turn the key upon the captive, freedom? One can detect irony instead of a categorical pronouncement. The intonation is also different from ordinary questions. Rhetorical questions may also express different kinds of mood at shades of meaning, such as doubt, challenge scorn, Irony, and so on.

Rhetorical question reinforces the essential quality of interrogative sentences and uses it. Rhetorical questions are used in publicistic style and particularly in oratory.

Litotes is a stylistic device consisting of a peculiar use of negative constructions. Negation + noun or adjective serves to establish a positive feature in a person or a thing. This positive feature however is somewhat diminished in quality as compared with a synonymous expression which is positive. e.g.It's not a bad thing, it's a good thing. He's no coward, he's a brave man. These pair aren't equal. In both cases the negative construction is weaker than the affirmative one, but it has a stronger impact on the reader.

Litotes is a deliberate understatement used to produce a stylistic effect which mainly depends on intonation.

A variant of litotes a construction with 2 negations. e.g. Not unlike or not unpromising. it’s not unlike him. I’m not at all displeased. According to general logical and mathematical principles two negative make a positive. Litotes is used in different styles of speech excluding those which may be called the matter-of-fact styles like official style and scientific prose. The stylistic effect of litotes is also depend on intonation.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1534