THE OVAL PORTRAIT.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 418.

STYLE

MESSAGE

THEME

CHARACTERS

1) Focus on the character of Fortunato. What actions or words reveal F's character? Pick out words and expresssions

· characterizing him directly

· showing his physical state

· showing his emotional state

2) How does Fortunato's speech ch-ze him? Pay attention to the

· syntactical structures

· vocabulary

What is peculiar of Fortunato's speech after the burial? What physical, emotional and mental state does the passage imply?

3) What details of Fortunato's appearance are mentioned repeately? Can they be considered symbolic?

4) Is Fortunato a ‘token name'? Why/why not?

5) Focus on the relationship between the narrator and F. In what points are the narrator and F similar? In what aspects are they contrasted? How and why is the contrast maintained?

1) Find 3 groups of word-forms with the same root in the opening paragraph.What ideas do the repetitions reinforce? How would you define the theme of the paragraph? What atmosphere do they maintain?

2) Pick out more words connected with these semantically. In what phrase is the idea distantly repeated?

What's implied by the phrase “for the love of God” repeated at the end of the story? What did each of the characters mean by the phrase?

1) The auhor often uses inversion. Pick out examples and comment on the effect

2) What is achieved through alliteration in the opening sentence - but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.

3) How many adversative constructions are met in the opening paragraph? Do they reveal

- the complicated and controversial nature of the problem

- the internal or external conflicts

- the character of the narrator

3) What stylistic devices are employed to render Fortunato's physical state?

4) Identify the phrase used by the narrator ironically in view of his plans.

5) Pick out foreign words and barbarisms and comment on their role

6) Pick out lexical repetitions and comment on their role.

7) Focus on the style of the story. Which of the following elements can you find:

· long, loosely structured sentences

· short simple sentences

· piling up of details and information

· plain, simple and direct language

· dialogues

· descriptive elements (epithets, metaphors, similes)

8) The plot of the story is horrifying. Does the tone of the narration confirm the tension of the plot or diffuse it? Find words and expressions which contribute to creating a highly charged atmosphere.