Love-Is-a-Fallacy总结

Summary•Theme•Lexicaldevices•Syntacticdevices•Rhetoricaldevices•Discoursecohesiondevices•TheChiefAttractionoftheTextThethemeThethemeofthestoryisstatedbythewriterinthetitleofthestory.MaxSchulmanwantsthereader,afterreadingthestory,toconcludethat'love'isanerror,adeceptionandanemotionthatdoesnotfollowtheprinciplesoflogic.Butthewriter,throughthisstoryhassucceededperhapsunwittingly(unconsciously)inrevealingwhatlovemaysometimesmeanintheaffluentsociety.Girlsdonotwantbrilliant,giftedoreducatedhusbands,butwanthusbandswhoarerichandwealthyenoughtoprovideallthewealthythingsnecessaryforkeepingupwiththeJoneses---home,clothes,cars(bigmansions,famousbrandcars,etc.).LexicaldevicesThelexicalspectrumiscolorful.Thismixaddstotherealismofthestory.Onewouldexpectafreshmantotalklikethat.1.Theuseofexclamatorywords.Thesewordsinclude“Gee”,“Oo”“Wow-dow”showingthatthegirlissimple-mindedandstupid.2.TheuseofclippedvulgarformsSuchformsas“delish”,“marvy”“sensaysh”“terrif”,and“magnif”arechosentocreatetheimageofthesimple-mindednessandstupidityofthegirl.3.TheuseofultralearnedtermsManysuchtermsas“DictoSimpliciter”,“PostHoc”,“AdMisericordiam”showingboastingofthenarratorcontrastssharplywiththesimple-mindednessofthegirl.4.TheuseofcommendatorywordsThesetermsinclude“cool”“logical”“keen”“calculating”“perspicacious”“acute”“powerful”“precise”,and“penetrating”.SuchacleverfreshmanismadeinsharpcontrastwiththedumbPeteyBurch.5.TheuseofderogatorytermsManyderogatorytermstodescribePeteyBurch,whois“dumb”,“nothingupstairs“emotional”“unstable”“impressionable”and“Worstofall,afaddist.”ThedumbnessofPeteyBurchisvividlyportrayedhere.6.TheuseofcolloquialwordsForexample:“dumb”“pin-up”,“kid”,“gosteady”“date”“HolyToledo”“casual”“kick”laugh”,“terrif”,“magnif”,“yummy”,“fireaway”and“darn”,toaddrealismtothestory.7.TheuseofslangsHerearesomeexamples:“nothingupstairs”“keen”“deal”“nut”“knockoneout”“dreamy”“howcute”“well-heeled”“rat”“knot-head”“jitterbug”“guy”“fracture”andmanyothers.Theselexicaldevicestogetherhelptocontributetothevividnessandaestheticbeautyoftheessay.Rhetoricaldevices•1.Simile“Mybrainwasaspowerfulasadynamo,aspreciseasachemist’sscales,aspenetratingasascalpel.”•2.Metaphor(1)“Mybrain,thatprecisioninstrument,slippedintohighgear.”(2)“Inotherwords,ifyouareoutofthepicture,thefieldwouldbeopen.”•3.Metonymy(1)“Iwasnotonetoletmyheartrulemyhead”(2)“Thereisalimittowhatfleshandbloodcanbear.”Syntacticdevices•TheuseofsimplesentencesTheyshed.Theysmellbad.Theyweightoomuch.They’reunsightly.•Theuseofsentencefragments“Sameage,samebackground,butdumbasanox.”“Worstofall,afaddist.”•Theuseofend-focussentences“IthappenedthatI,asalawstudent,wastakingacourseinlogicmyself,soIhadallthefactsatmyfingertips.”•Theuseofellipticalsentences“Emotionaltype.Unstable.Impressionable.”•TheuseofdashesandshortdialoguestomaintainafastpaceExamplesseepara.139-150.•Theuseofinvertedsentences“CoolwasIandlogical”“LikeafoolIspentallmymoneyfortextbooks”•4.Antithesis“Itis,afterall,easiertomakeabeautifuldumbgirlsmartthantomakeanuglysmartgirlbeautiful.”•5.Hyperbole(1)“Itisnotoftenthatonesoyoungsuchagiantintellect.”(2)“Hejuststoodandstaredwithmadlustatthecoat.(3)“Youarethewholeworldtome,andmoonandthestarsandtheconstellationsofouterspace.”•6.Rhetoricalquestion“CouldCarlyledomore?CouldRuskin?”“Whoknew?”•7.Parody“What’sPollytome,ormetoPolly?”aparodyof“What’sHecubatohimorhetoHecubathatheshouldweepforher?”fromShakespeare’sHamletDiscoursecohesiondevices•Thewords“raccooncoat”appear18timesinallandthereare12pronounsfor“raccooncoat”.Thelast3wordsoftheessayarealso“araccooncoat”.Inall,thewords“raccooncoat”appear31timesintheessay.•Theword“fallacy”appears17timesinallintheessayanditservesasaperfectexampleofcohesion.TheChiefAttractionoftheText•ThehumorThewholestoryisapieceoflight,humoroussatire,satirizingasmug,self-conceitedfreshmaninalawschool.–1.thetitle•Thetitleishumorous.Thewriterwantsthereaderstoconcludethat“love”isanerror,adeceptionandanemotionthatdoesnotfollowtheprinciplesoflogic.–2.theauthor’snote•“spongy”,“limp”,“flaccid”arespecificcharacteristicsofhisessay.Heisjoking,whichindicatesthatthewholestoryishumorous.–3.thecontrast•thelawstudent&thegirl&Petey•boastinghimselfV.S.downgradingtheothers–4.theendingofthestory•theraccooncoatwhichthelawstudentdespisesandgiveittohisroommatefortheexchangeofhisgirlfriendhasfinallybecometherootcauseofhislosinghisgirlfriend.–5.thecleverchoiceofthenames•Pettey:pity•Espy:Ispy