Arakin 4 kurs new 001 176. indd

ASSIGNMENTS TO THE ANALYSIS OF STYLE
I
. Explain who tells the story.
What do you think is gained by the author’s choice of this point 
of view? Does it make the story more vivid, convincing, more real 
and emotional? What would be the difference if the story were told 
from the point of view of Atticus or the author?
Read the parts of the text told by Jean Louise and summarize your 
observations.
II.
Discuss the effect the author achieves by making Atticus speak 
himself. Would anything be lost if Atticus’s words were rendered in 
indirect speech? Give reasons for your answers.
III.
Point out which method of characterization is employed in 
the story. What are its advantages?
IV.
Indicate the climax of the text. Motivate your answer.
V.
a) Account for the choice of long composite sentences used by 
Atticus in his speech. What is their use motivated by?
b) Explain why the conjunction “and” in the example given above 
is emphatic. (See Syntactical expressive means, item 
a
).
c) Express in one sentence the main idea of each of the two para-
graphs logically joined by “and so”. Explain the logical connection 
between them trying to put it into one sentence.
d) Express in one sentence the idea of each of the paragraphs 
logically joined by “but” and prove that the second paragraph is the 
development of the assertion stated in one preceding paragraph (try 
to use one sentence only).
Express the idea of both paragraphs in one sentence. Note that the 
above mentioned devices are often employed in oratorical style for 
the sake of emphasis.
VI.
Point out all the cases of syntactical parallelism and reiteration 
in the text. Render the idea of each of them in the fewest possible 
words without using parallel structures and reiteration. Compare 
your sentences with those from the text. What is the difference?
What is the stylistic value of this device? Why does the speaker 
use it? Comment on each case. Pay special attention to the paragraph 

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beginning with “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro...” and the 
one immediately following it.
Try to express the idea of the two paragraphs, in which this device 
is used, in the fewest possible words without resorting to the expres-
sive means used by the speaker. Discuss the result.
What is the point of this stylistic device in Atticus’s speech?
VII.
Explain what other stylistic devices mentioned above con-
tribute to the expressiveness of the paragraph beginning with the 
words “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro...”. Find another 
case of gradation in the paragraph beginning with “I say guilt, gentle-
men, because...”. Render both examples in a few words in neutral 
(unemotional) style. Compare and discuss the result. Do you agree 
that the sentences become hopelessly flat and devoid of any emo-
tional force?
What do you think caused the speaker to use gradation in this 
case?