Abstract

AbstractThe present paper explores the semantics of Hemingway’s ‘plain style’ inThe Sun Also Risesby combining corpus linguistic methodology with event semantics theory. The focus of the study is on how the narrator of the novel segments experienced situations in terms of semantic events. Corpus linguistic analysis shows that the ‘plain style’ of the narrative section of the novel is realized by means of coordinated clauses and that the narrator’s event segmentation is associated with a small set of preferred lexical items. These results are interpreted in terms of event semantics to show that preferred lexical items are indicative of event types typical of the narrative section.The semantic analysis of relations between coordinated clauses indicates that these relations are not simply about the juxtaposition of disjoined events. Finally, the study demonstrates that an approach combining corpus linguistic methodology with insights from event semantics can offer new understanding of the propositional meaning of literary texts, and the way narrators encode experienced situations.

Highlights

  • Hemingway’s style has often been described as “plain” (e.g. Berman 2003; Hays 2011) or “paratactic” (e.g. Baldwin 1993; Lanham 2003; Pavloska 2001)

  • I will begin by discussing the theory of event segmentation and semantic event structures in Section 2 and will consider the semantics of conjunctive clauses in Section 3 because it is through such clauses that Hemingway’s style is realized

  • If we further focus on the verbs that occur with higher frequency it can be observed that there 30 verbs that make up around 70% of all verbs in both conjuncts

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Hemingway’s style has often been described as “plain” (e.g. Berman 2003; Hays 2011) or “paratactic” (e.g. Baldwin 1993; Lanham 2003; Pavloska 2001). Levin (in Broer 2009: 88) argues that Hemingway’s use of factual language in narrative creates an impression of “immediacy” and “actualness”, while Benson (1990) talks about verisimilitude being “the effect Hemingway had been striving for, and achieving, since the early-twenties vignettes” (Benson 1990: 366) These studies contribute to better understanding of Hemingway’s style by identifying its main features described in terms of literary stylistics. I will begin by discussing the theory of event segmentation and semantic event structures in Section 2 and will consider the semantics of conjunctive clauses in Section 3 because it is through such clauses that Hemingway’s style is realized This will be demonstrated, which is concerned with the analysis of event types in Sun

Event segmentation and event structures
Conjuncts
10. Temporal
Empirical linguistic analysis of event structures in Sun
Types of clauses and clause relations in Sun
Types of events in conjuncts
Event segmentation with Verbs of Motion
Semantics of relations between conjoined conjuncts
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call