The quantitative aspect of foregrounding in the classical and contemporary short stories

Abstract

The article considers the language means of realizing the quantitative aspect of foregrounding in the short stories by Chopin and contemporary flash fiction. The major technique of the quantitative aspect of foregrounding in Chopin's stories is stylistic convergence. Stylistic convergences in her stories normally include extended metaphors and phonetic repetitions. They are usually located in such a strong position as the beginning (in 8 out of the 10 analyzed stories) where the writer describes the personality and appearance of the main character. The use of alliterations makes the stories very poetical. Stylistic convergences in contemporary flash fiction stories are also used in the most foregrounded fragments in the texts, similar to Chopin's stories. The difference lies in the place of convergences: in the analyzed stories they are placed in another strong position, in the ending. Thus, the writers give or suggest their own conclusions about the importance of such values as family, tolerance, and sympathy to other people. The convergences in flash fiction contain two major components-metaphors and syntactic repetitions. Also, the convergences in the analyzed flash fiction stories are smaller in size than in Chopin's texts and include such stylistic devices as play for words, oxymorons.