Филологические науки /7. Язык, речь, речевая коммуникация

¹E. V. Alyoshina, ²Ya. N. Kazantseva, ²M. L. Rostova,

¹Comprehensive school № 5, Russia

²Lesosibirskiy pedagogical institute – a branch of Siberian Federal University, Russia,

STYLISTIC DEVICES IN THE NOVEL "FAHRENHEIT 451" BY R. BRADBURY

Any literary text has a lot of stylistic devices. Their main objective is to show readers another world, involving all their sense organs. It is known that in the works writers often reflect their unique world view, their life experience, sad and joyful.

The aim of our work is to analyse the main stylistic devices used in the text « Fahrenheit 451» by R. Bradbury. In the novel the author describes society which relies on mass culture and consumer thinking in which all books forcing to think of life, are subject to burning; storage of books is a crime. The main character of the novel, Guy Monteg, works as «a firefighter» (in the novel it means someone who burns books), and he is sure that he does the right work, «for the benefit of humanity». But soon he becomes disappointed in the ideals of the society which he is a part of. He is tired of such life and reads the first book and then he becomes the derelict and joins small underground group of outcasts which supporters learn texts of books by heart to save them for their descendants.

The text is full of examples of oxymoron. We will consider some of them: «The trees made a great sound of letting down their dry rain». This device is used to show how thick the trees are, how many leaves fall from the trees that can seem as though it is raining with leaves. «He felt she was walking in a circle about him, turning him end for end, shaking him quietly, and his pockets, without once moving herself» - on not moving she does a lot of movements. It is a kind of opposition – as though she stands still, but at the same time, everything moves and moves around her. As we think, oxymoron is used in the following sentence: «Is it true that long ago firemen put fires out instead of going to start them?» Firefighters start the fires, but they do not extinguish them. These are two conflicting concepts.

Further we will give some examples of personification. «With this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world». In this sentence the tip of a fire engine is compared to an enormous python. The stylistic device is used to strength reader`s perception: it becomes so real that even the tip of a fire engine comes to life. «Her head was half bent to watch her shoes stir the circling leaves». In the phrase «the house jumped up in a gorging fire» the author personifies fire, showing that it is really powerful and it can also devour everything on its way. «It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed». The wordplay tells us that the fire completely consumes and destroys everything on its path. The device is used to show how strong and powerful the fire is.

Metaphor. «His hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history». The hands of a firefighter is compared to the hands of a conductor to highlight his importance. «Playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning» – a firefighter can manipulate fire, to subdue it, as if the conductor manipulates people and shows his work of art. «Her eyes were two miraculous bits of violet» – the eyes of the heroine are compared with amber, they are so beautiful, mysterious and tenacious, that they were able to capture its image.

Comparison. «Her face bright as snow in the moonlight», «her face was fragile milk crystal with a soft and constant light in it». The girl's face is compared to the snow in the moonlight. It tells us that the girl has very light skin tone, soft and velvety as snow.

Repetition. «It (smile) never went away, that smile, it never ever went away, as long as he remembered». It is used to gain confirmation of what was said. This strange, twitching smile was always on his face, as if embedded in his face forever.

Epithet. «That burned the evening sky red and yellow and black» - due to the fire the evening sky becomes dark and gloomy. «Air charged with a special calm» - it can tell us about the relaxed atmosphere, filling the air, and maybe vice versa, it can appear to be suspicious silence. «To a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward». The author describes the girl like small, tiny and weightless, she is floating in the air, and the wind speeds her up. «Face was slender and milk-white», «and in it was a kind of gentle hunger» - shows the tenderness and curiosity of a girl. «The dark eyes were so fixed to the world that no move escaped them» - the epithet tells us that she is very curious, and nothing could hide from her prying and watchful eyes.

In the sentence «he heard the motion of her hands as she walked, and the infinitely small sound now, white stir of her face» there is personification and epithet. We could not hear movement of someone`s hands, it is impossible, just as it is impossible to hear the light tremor of a face. But the author, by using this technique, shows us that the hero is so attracted by her that he feels as if he can hear the impossible, every her easy and effortless movement, and even awe on her face. So she greatly made him be interested in her. The example «with eyes so dark and shining and alive» can tell us, at first, about describing the girl's appearance, and that she is very interested in what her companion is saying to her. She liked their conversation that her eyes brightened and sparkled. «Warm-cool blowing night», «the silvered pavement», «there was the faintest breath of fresh apricots and strawberries in the air. The author made quite a nice device to show us how beautiful the night is, the moon is shining, and they are walking on the moonlit sidewalk.

In the novel, everything is based on the opposition of one reality to another. The author shows us what our future can be if we do not begin to appreciate books and the knowledge contained in them. Different stylistic devices used by R. Bradbury in the novel «Fahrenheit 451» help to his ideas.

References:

1. Брэдбери Р. «451 градус по Фаренгейту». URL: https://studyenglishwords.com/book/451-градус-по-Фаренгейту/81

2. Брэдбери Рэй. URL: http://raybradbury.ru