Doctor in the house

New Greek Department

Group 401

Ushullu Diana

 

Doctor in the house

 

The text under analyses belongs to the belles-lettre functional style. The substyle of it is emotive prose. The author is R. Gordon. He has been an anaesthetist at hospital, no wander he knows what he rights about. There is omniscient author in the present text. He knows all thoughts of characters. The position of the author is involved.

The title of the present text “Doctor in the house” is suggestive and orients the reader towards the story, because it introduces the main character, serves as means of cohesion, because it unites components to make a hall.

The story is narrated from the 1- st person singular. The advantage of it is that it makes the story more emotional, but disadvantage is that it makes the text less objective.

The theme is preparation for final examination.

The present text easily divided into 5 logical parts:

1. Preparation for exam (key words: final examination, unpleasant inevitability, knowledge, frank cheating, textbooks, gazing, impressionable music enthusiasts).
2. Written exam (key words: papers, invigilator, flagrant cheating, extra answer book, self-consciousness, question, incomplete sentence).
3. Oral exam (key words: unpopular, terrible displeasure, cow in a bog, Nonchalant, Frankly Worried, tetanus, impatiently).
4. The day of the results come out (key words: midday, Secretary, pass, failed, congratulations, handshakes, slink, oblivion).

As far as setting is concerned we may say that the author doesn’t mentioned the time, because it doesn’t matter. He emphasizes the feelings. But there is some time indication. The span of time covers 2 weeks.

The author used some proper names: Malcolm Maxworth, St. Swithin’s Hospital, Old Bailey, Cambridge, Grimsdyke. There is realistic setting and it helps to the author to create the ordinary , real atmosphere.

The atmosphere is not homogeneous, because it mentioned by ironic and dramatic keys.

Ironic: hoping by an incomplete sentence to give the examiners the impression of frustrated brilliance, don, totters, the viva is judgment day, confusion breeds, struggling like a cow in a bog.

Dramatic: terrible displeasure, heart leaped hopefully, unable to realize what had hit me, began to wonder, began to hope.

Picture making verbs: swot up, to cheat, to gaze, to be paralyzed, unable to realize, touch off, to tear away, to worry, lolling back, fondling.

The main character is narrator R. Gordon. He is simple, because he has no development during the text. He is implicit, because the author doesn’t describe his character. The secondary character is Grimsdyke. He is opposite character to Gordon. He is also simple. Foil characters is crowd, poor victims, students.

There is external conflict (students against examinators) and internal (man against man). The main character doubts (something like death, price fighter, unpleasant inevitability).

There is physical and psychological movement. The text is presented in a chronological order. There is flashback when Grimsdyke talk about Cambridge, foreshadowing when Gordon says that they know how the exam will hold.

The present text written in pictorial form. There are only snippets of conversation.

The given extract opens with the exposition when the narrator describes preparation for the exam.

The complication occupying the better part of the text is written and oral examination.

The climax, the most crucial moment of the story, is waiting for results.

The anticlimax is sudden drop of intensity. The distance between anticlimax and denouement is blurred.

The denouement is when the results come out. There is open plot structure.

The idea of the given text is that the devil is not so black that he is painted.

 

 

Semasiological level

 

Something like death – simile

Unpleasant inevitability – periphrasis

Investigation – periphrasis

Straight contest – periphrasis

Frank cheating – epithet

Ran a final breathless sprint – metaphor

Breathless – epithet

Eye open – synecdoche

Looked dispassionately down at the poor victims, like the policemen that flank the dock at the Old Bailey – irony

An awkward expression of self-consciousness and superiority in their faces – antithesis

Brilliant – epithet

Tearing papers away from gentlemen – antithesis

Frustrated brilliance – epithet

Eight- round fight – metaphor

Loses his nerve – synecdoche

Confusion breeds confusion – metaphor

Interrogation struggling like cow in a bog – simile

Nonchalant, Frankly Worried, Crammer, Old Stager – antonomasia

Her suit was neat but not smart; her hair tidy but not striking – antithesis

Male sex – periphrasis

My heart leaped hopefully – metaphor

I rallied my thoughts and stumbled through the answer – metaphor

It was like having a severe accident – simile

Make a recovery and win through – metaphor

Talking about passing away – euphemism

A subdued, muttering crowd – periphrasis

Like an unexploded bomb – simile

Restless crowd – periphrasis

Pulse shot in my ears – metaphor

Face was burning hot – metaphor

Stomach had been suddenly plucked from my body – metaphor + hyperbole