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ASSIGNMENTS TO THE ANALYSIS OF STYLE

I. Explain how the narrator starts the story. What is the effect of his direct address to the reader? Why does the narrator choose this way of beginning his story? Does it grasp the reader's attention at once? Why?

II. Explain in what form the story is written — is it a description, a narration, or the blending of both? Which is of greater importance in the story — the description or the narration? Give your reasons.

III. Discuss which in your opinion is more important in the story — the plot development or character-drawing. Motivate your answer. How does the narrator succeed in holding the reader's in­terest to the end?

IV. Explain what means of characterization are employed in the story for each character— direct or indirect, or both. Give a detailed answer.

Point out all the descriptive paragraphs. What part do they play in the story? What do we learn from them? What do we gather from the narrator's description of the char­acter and what from his actions? What can you say about the chief traits in Rudolf Steiner's character as far as you can gather from his actions?

V. Explain what part, if any, each conversation plays in the story. What information do we gain from the dialogues? Do they contribute to greater vividness of the narration?

Would you call O. Henry's characterization superficial and shallow or profound? Motivate your answer.

Summarize your observations and say what we gather of Rudolf Steiner's character from the characterization through description, through his actions and through his words.

VI. Discuss the outcome of the story. Is this surprise ending typi­cal of O. Henry? Can you give any other examples of surprise endings?

VII. Discuss the narrator's attitude towards what he describes. Is it serious, humorous, ironical or sympathetic? Give your reasons.

VIII. Do you agree with those critics who hold the opinion that O. Henry is exclusively an entertainer, that his sole purpose is to divert and amuse? Or do you think that for all his ingenious plots, for all his fantastic situations and ironical attitude he is a real humanist who sees his characters with understanding and sympathy, sympathy for the poor and the lonely, for the joys and sorrows of common people? Motivate your answer.

IX. Analyse the choice of the vocabulary used in the story—is it colloquial or does it abound in bookish or highly literary words? Pick out the bookish words from the story and give their neutral equiva­lent (e.g. consumation of your cigar — smoking your cigar). What would be lost if the bookish words were replaced by neutral ones? What effect does the use of these literary words achieve? Can the same be said of the bits of dialogue in the story? Do they also abound in the use of book­ish words or do they represent the conversation of actual people? Prove that the dialogues are written in colloquial style. How do you account for the difference between the vocabulary used in the description and narration and in the dialogues?

X. Note the words "a diverting tragedy and something serious in the way of vaudeville." Is a tragedy supposed to be diverting or a vaudeville serious? What figure of speech is it?

XI. Explain the narrator's attitude expressed by the epithet "blessed" in "the blessed few". Point out the epithets you find most suggestive. Prove why you consider them to be epithets and not merely attributes.

XII. Discuss the effect achieved by the use of such short verbs as " thrust ", " flash out", " ship off " and " fly " in the second paragraph. Explain which of these verbs is used metaphorically and why you think it is a metaphor.

XIII. Explain why the sentences mentioned in the Notes on style, item 2, are metaphors and discuss their stylistic value. Point out other metaphors (simple ones) in the story and enlarge on them.

XIV. Explain why in the sentence "...and that restless contingent that abandons home for the specious welcome of the thousand-candle-power table d'hote” (see the Notes on style, item 3) the author uses the metonymy “ table d'hote " instead of the word " restaurant ". Account for the use of the epithets " specious " and " thousand-candle-power " used in reference to " table d'hote ". Render the meaning implied in the sentence in your own words.

XV. Discuss the effect of personification as used, in the story. Account for the use of the capitals.

XVI. Explain what emotion the interjection " Himmel!" used by Rudolf expresses and why.

XVII. Explain a) the use of the quotation marks in "...and specious promises of 'painless' operations", b) the use of the exclamation mark in "What might not be behind those green panels!"

XVIII. Point out instances of inversion. Account for its use.

XIX. Point out the similes in the story and discuss their stylistic effect.

XX. Explain what figure of speech the words "the region of do­mesticity" represent. Substitute it by a plain word. Is this roundabout way of putting things in keeping with O. Henry's style? Enlarge on it.

XXI. Discuss the purpose of the literary allusion in the sentence "But to Rudolf the history sounded as big as the Iliad."

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