Metamorphosis in fiction: A supra-sentential analysis

Abstract

This paper proposes an innovative approach to the analysis of fiction texts through the combined means of three points of view, viz. FSP, discourse subjects (DSs) and their cohesive chains, and cohesive ties. It explores the theme of metamorphosis of the characters as it appears in all the three examined aspects, and the influence the metamorphosis exerts on them. Three main problems are discussed in the paper. Firstly, it deals with unexpected tokens in the identity chains of the DSs undergoing the metamorphosis and the cohesive ties through which they are incorporated in these cohesive chains. Secondly, it addresses seeming abrupt switches between two thematic progressions which in fact form just one progression. Lastly, the paper discusses the function of the features detected in the texts in relation to the complexity of the idea of metamorphosis.

Keywords

• cohesion
• thematic progression
• discourse subjects
• fairy tale
• metamorphosis