And some general recommendations

SCHEMATIC OUTLINE OF TEXT ANALYSIS

1) Introduction, information about the author. (Some data about the writer's biography, creative activities and outlook are required.) If possible the student should say a few words about the novel from which the excerpt is taken.

2) The summary of the extract. It must be short (1/4 of the original text) and logical.

3) The structure of the text. If possible exposition, complications, climax and denouement should be identified. The text must be as well subdivided into logically complete parts. The student should say whether the text is the first or the third person narration, what forms of subject matter presentation are predominant in the text (the author's narration, description, dialogue, psychological portraiture of the characters) and in what parts.

4) The general atmosphere of the text. (H may be dry, unemotional, emotional, vivid, bright, tense, dramatic, pathetic, tragic, humorous, ironical, satirical, sarcastic, etc.) It may change throughout the text. These changes are to be accounted for. Also examples from the text should be given to show how the author creates this or that kind of atmosphere, what words and stylistic devices help him lo do it.

5) The characters of the extract, whether they are described directly (i.e. the author himself names their features) or indirectly (i.e. through their actions, speech, thoughts, appearance), what kind of people they are judging by the text, what kind of relations can be, observed between them. The author's attitude to the characters, is it expressed clearly enough or is it not expressed? The students are obliged to present their own attitude to the characters and to ground it substantially. Also examples from the text are required to prove each idea of the student.

6) The general characteristics of the style of the extract. Vocabulary and syntax employed by the author. Can any instances of bookish and colloquial vocabulary be found? Why does the author use it? What kinds of sentences predominate in different parts of the text? Does the author use stylistic devices amply or sparingly? Is his style in general vivid, clear and emotional or matter-of-fact and constrained?

7 ) The main idea (message) of the text. i.e. what the author wanted to tell the reader by this extract, the underlying thoughts and ideas of the author. It must be formulated by the student laconically

8) The student's evaluation of the text under analysis. It may logically continue the previous item of the plan. The student must express his attitude to the message of the text and other ideas conveyed by the author and state whether these ideas are important and urgent Stylistic and compositional peculiarities of the text are also to be dwelt upon here.

The last two items of the plan are of paramount importance. Everything must be well thought-out and substantially proved.