Analysis of Text № 13

The text “The Happy Man” is written by a well-known English novelist and short-story writer Willian Sommerset Maugham. He also achieved success as playwright and esayist. Maugham was the son of a British diplomat. He was educated at King’s School in Canterbury, studied painting in Pans, went to Heidelberg University in Germany and studied to be a doctor at St. Thomas Hospital in England. Also Sommerset Maugham did not denounce the contemporary social order, he was critical of the morals, the narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy of bourgeois society. It was his autobiographical novel “Of Human Bondage” (1915) and the novel “The Moon and Sixpence” (1919) based on the life of French artist Paul Gauguin, that won his fame. Sommerset Maugham was also a master of the short story.

Sommerset Maugham’s style of writing is clear and precise. He does not impose his views on the reader. He puts a question and leaves it to the reader to answer it. When criticizing something he sounds rather amused than otherwise.

The text is a narration. The title of the story is not too difficult for comprehension because each person can be happy in different ways. The text belongs to a belles-lettres style. It also referres to a social and psychological genres because it describes one of the main character’s way of living, his attitude towards reality on one hand and his inner world and aspiration after changing his life on the other hand.

The text “The Happy Man” represents a real dynanic account of events. It contains a description of the main characters’ way of living, feelings, emotions and of course their appearance. Such words and word-combinations asto live in a modest flat, to seem a trifle embarrased, absent-mindedly, an apologetic smile, a cursor glance; short, sharp sentences, which he used, to have a forcible ring; a little man, thick-set ans stout with a round red face, dark and very bright eyes, bullet-shaped head, cropped black hair, a bacchanalian smile, to have a dissipated, sympathetic appearance, boldly and voluptuously beautiful Spanish woman; a baggy blue suit, terribly shabby clothes, the pockets bulged untudily witness about it. The text also hasan interior monologue and it renders the thoughts, feelings and inner state of the characters. Somepieces of dialogues represented in the text speak about it to.

The author speaks about events in his own voice. The story is told in the first person. It is emotional and even philosophical in any way. All events are consequent. The novel ends on phylosophical and even a little bit humorous note and we can trace such moments in the end of the story. The end is conclusive.

The main themeof the novel isnormal person’s wish to change his life. The idea isthe person’s desire to find out his own place in the world. There is a conflict of one of the main character Stephens with himself. The author sympathizes with Stephens and sincerely wishes him to reach a heaven of rest at last.

The text under analysis consists of several parts. From the exposition we know about the author’s reflection about life and human existance on the Earth.Complication describes the author’s meeting with a young doctor Stephens who is eager to change his life and gives him an idea about Spain. The meeting in spanish town Seville between the author and Stephens is depicted incomplication.Indenouenment Stephen’s confirmations about“wonderful life” are depicted.

Depending upon the manner in which the narration is represented we can speak the languae of the story. It’s rather emotional and abounds in descriptive words and phrases. There are also Spanish words in the text, such as Seville, Spaniard, patio, sombrero, Carmen. From grammar point of view the language of the story isn’t very complicated. The predominant Tense is Past Simple. Some sentences are represented in the Present Simple and the Present Perfect Tenses. E.g. I hope you don’t mind my coming to see you like this. I have been tempted to teach my neighbour. It’s also possible to find out modal constructions, Subjunctive Mood, The Passive Voice and Complex Subject. E.g. We can only guess at the thoughts and emotions of our neighbours. He was silent for a moment. I asked him if I should not put it on a chair for him. He seemed a trifle embarrassed. The gerund constructions and direct speech are also represented in the text. E.g. I offered him a cigarette and he had some difficulty in lightning. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind giving me some information. “I hope you don’t mind my coming to see you like this”.

In general the text isn’t very difficult for understanding. It is philosophical and even a little bit humorous.