Free English Language Dissertations - ‘through The Window He Contemplated The Sea Grown Drowsy In The Ennui Of
‘Through the window he contemplated the sea grown drowsy in the ennui of four o’clock, and realised with a heavy heart the swallows had returned,’ (Marquez, 1995, p. 20). In this passage Marquez uses language play in a number of ways. Firstly he uses the reader’s assumptions of what certain words should mean and which other words they should be grouped with, these assumptions are referred to as schemas and frames (Graddol, et. al., 1994, p. 216-8).
Furthermore he uses collocation (Jeffries, 1996, p. 169), which is linked to the idea of schemas and frames, using the idea of grouping unusual words to create an impact upon the reader. In his description of the sea grown drowsy Marquez uses the idea that most readers would see the sea as unruly and goes against that by describing it as drowsy, creating a sense of melancholy with only a few words. He also uses the readers understanding of the phrases heavy heart and swallows returning to express the idea of sadness in time passing. Without saying that time has passed the use of the phrase the swallows had returned indicates to the reader that it is now spring and the character in question is unhappy about it.
Both authors manage to resist being pigeonholed by using language play to paint vivid dynamic pictures in the reader’s imagination. They depend on the reader to fill in the details of what they are describing, and in doing so avoiding the need to describe details which could confine them to a specific period or genre of literature.
If there were no language play, there would be no literature because there would be only one way of saying any one thing. Language play affords authors the ability to personalise their thoughts, and those of their characters, creating dynamic narratives. Much of literature is referential, but without the use of language play we would merely have repetition rather than reference. No text is produced which is not in some way affected by texts, both spoken and written, literary and non-literary, that have gone before it’ (Jeffries, 1996, p. 181). It is their use of language rather than their ideas, which set authors apart from one another.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cook, G. Language play in English (pp. 198-227). In: Maybin, J. and Mercer, N. (1996). Using English: From conversation to canon. London: Routledge.
Graddol, D., Cheshire, J. & Swann, J. (1994). Describing Language. 7.4: Written Language. (pp. 214-234). Buckingham Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Jeffries, L. What makes English into art? (pp. 162-184). In: Maybin, J. and Mercer, N. (1996). Using English: From conversation to canon. London: Routledge.
Marquez, G.G. (1995) Of Love and other Demons (translated from Spanish by Edith Grossman). Toronto: Knopf Canada.
Shakespeare, W. Twelfth Night. Act 1, Scene 5. In: http://www.shakespeare-literature.com/Twelfth_Night/5.
