1. Speak about the author. What do you
know about his world outlook, his philosophical and aesthetic principles?
2. Give the gist of the passage/ story.
(Summarize the content of the passage/ story.) Divide it into logically
complete parts and suggest titles to each.
3. Point out the composition parts of
the passage/ story: exposition, complication, climax, denouement. Is there a clear
exposition or does the narration start abruptly? Are time, place and background
stated or only implied? Analyze the use of the articles, pronouns and adverbs.
Say whether their specific usage creates the implication of precedence. What is
the function of this implication? How does the action move: slowly or fast?
What part of speech prevails: verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.? What is
the effect of their use?
4. What is more important: the events
that make the plot or the implication? What is implied? How does the
passage/story end: in a clear or ambiguous and vague way?
5. What does the passage/ story present:
narration, description, dialogue, monologue, inner monologue of a character,
the author’s argumentation? What is the prevailing narrative form?
6. In whose name is the story narrated? Is it a first-person (a third person)
narration? Outline the character of the narrator, if there is any. What is the
function of the narrator?
7. What mood (key, vein, slant) is the
passage/ story written in? Does the mood change as the narration proceeds?
8. What is the author’s method of presenting
characters? Does the author resort to direct characterization? Point out
instances of direct characterization. Is it ample or sparing? What are the
other ways of portraying characters (through their actions and speech, other
characters’ perception)? Are the characters represented statically or
dynamically? What direction do they change in? What stages in the development
of their personalities can be singled out? What character is the most
picturesque and vivid? How does the author achieve the vividness of portraits?
Does the main character happen to be in conflict with himself (with other
characters, circumstances of life)? Are there any background characters? What
is their role in the story? Can we feel the author’s attitude towards his characters?
9. Speak about the language means
employed in the passage/ story. What episodes abound in various tropes? What is
their effect? Are there any places which are devoid of any imagery? What does
this dry manner of writing contribute to? Does the author contrast
expressiveness of some parts of his story? Why? What layer words are mainly
used in the passage/ story: formal, bookish, colloquial? Does the author resort
to stylistically coloured vocabulary: terms, archaisms, neologisms, barbarisms,
foreign loans, slangy words, jargonisms, professional and dialectal words,
vulgarisms? What is their function? Are there any discrepancies between the
plot and the language means used to reproduce it?
10. Analyze the syntactical structures
employed in the text. Which places are written in long, complex sentences?
Where do short and simple structures prevail? What effect do these syntactical
structures create? Are there abrupt changes in syntax, in style in general? Why
does the author resort to such contrasts?
11. What is the author’s message?
Interpret the title of the story. What is your attitude towards the characters,
ideas and style of the text? What feelings and thoughts does the text arouse?
