АВТОРСКИЕ СТРАТЕГИИ В АНГЛИЙСКОМ ТЕКСТЕ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ТРИЛОГИИ «ВЛАСТЕЛИН КОЛЕЦ» ДЖ.Р.Р.ТОЛКИЕНА)

Introduction

One of the challenges of artistic world view description is the study of the prose system, containing the realities to which the author refers and the determination of image means that reflect the specifics of the author's personal style[1]. .

This work attempts to study the author's text from the standpoint of interconnection of voice messages. Introduced by T. Van Dijk and V. Kintsch for the scientific use the term "textual strategies" directs the linguists to study the cognitive processes of creating the text according to the author's plan and intention. Joint article of Van Dijk and Kintsch, published in 1978 and later in a book in 1983 laid the foundation for the interdisciplinary approach in the field of linguistics and text grammar[2][3].

Theoretical Background of study

The basic principle of the strategic approach is in selection and fixation of the information most relevant to the implementation of a pragmatic task. Using the idea of a strategic approach to the textual information, the authors of the study following Van Dijk accentuate “the situation model”. The concept of strategy on the textual and contextual levels is used for considering internal and external information links.

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien researchers considered the image of nature, as well as other images that are the components of artistic world view, as a rule, from the point of view of genre specificity. The space-time model of artistic world view was interpreted depending on it.[4][5].

Strategy for space-time picture of the world

The objective of this research includes the analysis of the author’s strategy in the creation of space-time picture of the world, which is implemented in the form of the landscape[6].

The image of nature - an important component of the artistic world view. Studying of context-variable text division units reveals the features of realities that are accessed by the author, and the specifics of the author's world-modeling.

Landscape in the time continuum of "Lord of the Rings" is formed by the visual picture of the world and is determined by the author's strategy.

Visualization of landscape images is made by the statement of the objects presence in a certain spatial juxtaposition. In the descriptions of temporal situation the author captures the distinctive features of the interim period, but the most important - the creation of an individual background for various plot developments. The landscape in a particular temporal situation is less a visual image but an image that helps to realize the basic idea of the trilogy "Lord of the Rings": confrontation and struggle between good and evil.

Author’s strategy in creating a visual image of the landscape is determined by the two items. First: to create a certain visual impression by means of activation a visual representation of the described picture (at the same time the auxiliary information of this strategy conveys the atmosphere of what is happening). Second item: to transfer the information of associative (psychological) type. In unmarked, from the point of view of mythology, landscape descriptions there are depicted forest, mountain, river, that are in the field of view of the characters[7]  In another description of the landscape it is as follows: The trees quivered and bent as if a gust had struck them [8].

In unmarked, from the point of view of mythology, landscape description[9]  there are depicted forest, mountain, river, that are in the field of view of the characters: forest of Fangorn, … its eaves, its … slopes, head of … Methedras, peak of the Misty Mountains, the Entwash, its stream, its banks[10].

The visual image would be incomplete without the following color naming and verbs: dark, shadowy, faded, blue, glimmered, grey, white, creating a palette from dark shades to light tones.

The second example[11] , which also describes the forest, shows, at first sight, a strategy of creating a visual image of the scene (landscape). Meanwhile, according to the mythopoeic tradition, properties of living beings are ascribed to the forest: comparative clause “as if” used in the considered sentence indicates that the trees do not serve as an object influenced by wind, but respond to the cry of angry "masters" - ents that announced the beginning of the war against the representatives of evil.

The first description approaches under the strategy of creating a visual image of the scene (landscape), while the second represents the strategy of describing the atmosphere of what is happening through underlining events according to similarity. The second strategy is found in the trilogy more rarely than the second one and more often is represented by a temporal situation descriptions.

In contrast to the use of unmarked, from the point of view of mythology, landscape descriptions, the strategy of formation of the "mythological spatial points" visual image of the trilogy is no less important than the formation of the atmosphere of what is happening in those cases where the author seeks to achieve the effect, important for the work as a whole.

The objectification of fundamental oppositions in myth acts for this effect (light - dark, warm - cold, good - evil, etc.) as well as the construction of semantic-axiological coordinate grid within which a space-time is built.

Describing the elven forest (Lothlorien)[12] [V.1, р.341], which represents a special region not only spatially but also temporally, the author introduces the linguistic markers that contain seme “time”. In this landscape description the following comparison can be considered as the marked one: … a sward of grass as green as Springtime in the Elder Days. Unlike the description of Mordor, which is depicted as a dark, cold country bright sun shines over Lothlorien, and color terms of bright spectrum play an important role in the formation of visual image of the enchanted forest: green, snowy white, pale gold, golden, white and palest green, blue, and also the verbs gleamed, glimmered, glowed. Thus, Mordor and Lothlorien as the outermost parts of opposition light - dark, warm – cold possess the expressed axiological marking (bright spectrum is marked as positive, darkness - negative) and are combined with the corresponding poles of the opposition life – death.

In the descriptions of the temporal situation[13] there are depicted pre-dawn hours, are given the temperature characteristics of air and mist (сold…chill), noun “twilight” and color term “grey” are used, which serve as an implicit indicators of temporal specifier. Heroes are in the center of depiction.

The associative background of another description of temporal situation[14] is actualized through the depiction of light from the setting sun of natural realities, like the mountains, the sky, the river and the valley. There is an assimilation of sunlight with fire (a great burning … fire glowed …), which can be interpreted ambivalent: fire – life and fire - destroyer.

Frame red and its term blood are associated. Color term red also causes the association with war and anger.

Following the description of temporal situation we read about victory of good characters in the battle for Gondor: And in that hour the great Battle of the field of Gondor was over; and not one living foe was lift within the circuit of the Rаmmas. Thus, the color terms are used not only to indicate the color, but to create an impression of the atmosphere of what is happening.

Author's strategy of information transmission of associative type in the trilogy is directed less on the description of natural realities or atmospheric phenomena, but on formation of ideas about the atmosphere in which the action develops, the relation of positive and negative characters to the nature and of nature towards them, about the emotional state of the character, etc.

Let us characterize the three basic strategies of this plan.

The first is used to transfer the atmosphere of what is happening (including the underlining of events according to its similarity). The second strategy is related to the mythological and axiological relatedness of characters and nature. Space and time model is based on the unity of the sacred "relation" of characters to the nature and of the sacred "perception", the appropriate "relation" of nature to the heroes. The third strategy represents the emotional state of the character.

Description of the landscape and temporal situation reproduces the atmosphere of what is happening. In one of the episodes [15] the river, wind and trees are depicted. Acoustic characteristics of the river and wind actualizes the psychological atmosphere of the situation: Boromir is succumbed to the temptation of the One Ring, and is going to take it away from the main Guardian - Frodo Baggins. Framing description of the declarative sentences convey the atmosphere of what is happening through the contrast image of characters actions - silence of Boromir (there is also a contrast with the background sound of descriptive context) - trembling of Frodo.

Other episode[16]  describes the wind that causes associations with movement, speed, changes, and mountains. Description of wind, burst into the Théoden palace implements the strategy if transmission of atmosphere of what is happening, changes in internality and externality of the King: deceived by the magician Saruman the White, Théoden lost heart, but another magician – Gandalf the Grey broke the spell of Saruman and returned to King his vivacity of spirit and hardihood.

A popular Tolkien technique is to use description of sunset to transmit the atmosphere of what is happening - the upcoming battle - by underlining events according to similarity[17] .

Description of temporal situation and scene of action (landscape), implementing the strategy of transferring the atmosphere of what is happening, quantitatively hold in the trilogy second place and are going behind the contexts that contribute to the formation of appropriate visual image. Typical descriptions illustrate the strategy of showing indirect features of the character [18] [19]V.3, p. 981; V.2, p. 540]. There are mentioned cut down by the negative characters trees. But the second episode, unlike the first one, is built on a comparison of the state of the valley Nan Curunir before and after it was seized by Saruman: Once it had been fair and green… there had lain a pleasant, fertile land. – … most of the valley had become a wilderness of weeds and thorns… No trees grew there… It was a sad country silent…[20]  It should be mentioned that sometimes the visuals image (landscape) and temporal situation (showing the positively and negatively marked components of archetypal items), which we have labeled in our study, to the first group of strategies, in the context of the whole trilogy can also be seen as implementing the strategy of indirect characteristics of the hero.

It should be emphasized the syncretism of the strategies allocated by us: description of landscape and temporal situation is able to simultaneously perform several functions, and depending on the context they are distributed in order of importance, and ensure the implementation of a whole group of different strategies. For example,[21] [22] In these contexts, a visual image of the locus of Elrond’s Earth (place of residence of the positive hero) and Mordor (in the trilogy - the geographical center of evil) is created. In the descriptions positively and negatively labeled components of archetypal opposition light - dark, warm - cold, life - death are used, which indirectly indicate the axiological characteristics of the owners of these territories. The presence of the sacred connection of the trilogy characters with nature is evidenced not only by projecting “the relation” of heroes to the nature, but also the projection of nature “relation” on the representatives of good and evil, which respectively express the following opposition: life – death. Green and long grew the grass on Snowman` Home, but ever black and bare was the ground where the beast was burned[23] .

Let us note that in this particular strategy transmission elements that are important for the understanding of original ideas of the opposition created by the Creator of flora and negative characters are present. The following mixed context (story + signals of descriptive information) shows the hill where dead orcs are buried and it is stressed that grass will not grow there[24].

Sometimes to show the indirect features of the character, the strategy of using description of landscape and temporal situation approaches to the strategy of transmission of what is happening. This happens in the event when the description of the atmosphere of what is happening conforms to the features of character as a representative of the forces of good and evil. The use of such context describes as well as an atmosphere of event (which, as a rule is depicted in the narrative context, forgoing the description) and the character itself.

There is a problem of differentiation of strategies describing landscape and temporal situation. The complexity of identifying prominent examples of indirect characteristics of the characters in the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" is that they tend to approach with the strategies of creating the visual image, or transmission of the main idea of the work, or describing the atmosphere of what is happening, realizing them at the same time, with varying degrees of accentuation.

The strategy of representation of the character's emotional state is aimed at creating a visual image of the landscape and temporal situation, but differs from it by the fact that the received image conveys additional information about the status of your character in the given situation.

For example, there are depicted weather conditions on Weathertop mountain year after hobbit Frodo was injured by Nazgul blade just when the pass it. In the context, forgoing the description the dynamics of changes in the state of hero is described[25] . The hero and the weather conditions are shown as preserving the connection with the events in the past, and the description of temporal situation corresponds to the emotional state at a given time. Landscape image can be used for indirect description of the inner state of the character by means of his perception of reality as, for example, in the following context: The others halted started; but cry fell as if muffled by a heavy curtain. There was no echo or answer though the wood seemed to become more crowded and more watchful than before [26].

The perception of the forest surrounding characters, trees of which have properties of living beings (… the wood seemed to become more crowded and more watchful than before…), reflects the psychological state of the characters: the feeling of hostility of the forest in which they can not even hear the echo of cry of the frightened hobbit Pippin.

The strategy of using this description approaches the strategy of indirect characteristics of the character, because nature is shown hostile towards the characters, that caused a negative emotional reaction of hobbit (Pippin’s cry), at the same time indirectly and generally characterizes the personality of the characters.

A striking example in which the description of the typical natural reality is combined with the image of the character portrait, is the episode where the visual image of flowers, twisting the head of the broken statue of the king is created[27]. From the strategy of creating the visual image, the considered example differs the fact that picture of the person of the king is created separately from its relatedness to the representatives of the forces of good (the strategy of indirect characteristics). However, the purpose of the author in this case was not only the characteristic of the long-dead king, but the transfer of information that is important in terms of understanding the whole text: evil is not always going to win. Statement of the main hero, following the description, confirms that: («They cannot conquer forever! » – said Frodo).

The study of the function of description the scene of action (landscape) and temporal situation in Tolkien's trilogy allows you to show author's strategies focused on the formation of a model of artistic picture of the world.

Description of the landscape and temporal situations in the studied work is carried out within the following simultaneously implemented strategies: 1) creation of a visual image; 2) transmission of information of associative type; 3) the use of description of the landscape and temporal situation to implement and disclose the basic idea of the works.

The strategy of creation a visual image is aimed at visualization of the described landscape and temporal situation. Transfer of descriptive information can be regarded as the leading element of this strategy, and activation of associative (psychological) information – as the subordinate. In this strategy, there is an element of the transmission of main idea of the work, as the described natural realities are part of the semantic structure of the whole trilogy.

Thus, different strategies of using descriptions are implemented simultaneously and we can talk about the degree of its accentuation in the context.