Stylistic analysis of a short story “Laura” Essay

The story under analysis is titled Laura. It is written by British author, master of the short story Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki. The precise story belongs to fiction genre with a unique touch of mystery, psychological themes, as it concerned with two main heroines (Laura and Amanda) delirious states. The tone of the story is full of irony and even sarcasm, especially in the dialogues and closing lines. The mysterious ideas and incredible circumstances provide the suspense and makes the text preferably gripping and thought-provoking. The story is told from the third person, who involves the reader in Amandas inner world. It is shown by the indirect method of characterization, as the characters be revealed finished their speech, actions and behaviors. The main heroines are Laura, a hasty, unadvised person, who possesses some eccentric ideas and her friend Amanda, more material and serious lady. The reader is merely introduced to them, so it is meant to fi nd out about their personalities through the speech. Amanda is very concerned about Lauras condition, because she was only given a couple of days to live. In spite of those dramatic perspectives, Laura is not afraid to die, because of her tenet in reincarnation.She admits, that she has never been a nice person, so she is ready to become an animal in the next life, and than, may be, a little Nubian boy. From this point on, the mixed and dynamic personalities with some vivid qualities are shown. The biggest role in the text belongs to the dialogues. They help to create the context of uses of the story and reveal information about characters lives, beliefs and states. From the first setting it is possible to imagine a kind of a country town, as one of the minor characters (Egbert, Amandas husband) runs a farm. The atmosphere of the text is quite changeable, so in the end of the story the secondary setting of the Nile Valley is depicted. From the very beginning of the story the reade r finds some foreshadowing. It gives special hints to what will happen in the future. The plot includes some complications which lead right up to the climax of the text. After Lauras death Amanda believes her friend to be reincarnated as an otter. Eventually, she learns that the animal has been killed. The fact, that a attester noticed such a human lookin its eyes brings Amanda an attack of nervous prostration. At the very end of the story the reader finds other climax and new unsolved difference a Nubian boy had thrown all Egberts clean shirts into the bath. All this presents an external conflict an internal conflict is revealed through struggling doubts about what happens after death. Obviously, the text has an open ending.This short story is extremely interesting from the stylistic point of view. The writer had a very specific way of applying stylistic devices in the text. Comic nature of the situation is expressed by a lot of formal lexis and play upon polysemous language an d idioms (dying by inches). The use of certain stylistic means is closely related to the portrayal of heroines personalities and conditions. The author is often ironic showing Lauras mood and ideas. It also creates a strong humorous effect. The repetition of the word circumstances serves to make the reader see what type of a person Laura is, to get wind her attitude towards other people. There are examples of parallel constructions in the text My best flower bed and my best fowls singled out for destructions. The reader meets cases of hyperbole, like in he neednt have gone on about it for the entire evening, maddest kind of idea, beast (about the otter). The examples of litotes are met in Sir Lulworths speech about Laura. Instead of saying that she is out of her mind he uses the words unaccountable and inconsiderate.Metaphors are mostly used for the portrayal of Amandas husband wearing an air of bereavement and hurricane of shouted curses. The main idea of the story is to show the reader how it is necessary for a person to let the light go, though it can be so emotionally hard and painful. It wont do to imagine them still alive in other distinct forms, because all these feelings and experience may lead to nervous breakdown. The connection between the story and its title turns out to be rather striking, as the only character, Amanda by name, is followed throughout the whole text, while her friend Lauras swift death is depicted in one short sentence. But still, her presence is strongly mat up all the way.