Romanauszug analysieren

Ein Roman - in Englisch novel - ist sehr lang und umfasst viele Charaktere, Themen und Erzählstränge. Bei der Analyse eines Romanauszugs ist es wichtig, diese Aspekte im Hinterkopf zu haben, um den vorliegenden Text auf Sprache und erzählerische Mittel hin zu untersuchen.

introduction

In der introduction nennst du folgende Aspekte:

• Titel
• Autor/in
• Datum
• Thema
• These deiner Analyse

main part

Im main part der Analyse kommt es immer darauf an, was in der Aufgabenstellung steht. Meistens liegt der Fokus entweder auf

• characters oder
• atmosphere

Bei der Analyse der atmosphere und der characters musst du auf folgende Dinge achten:

• Ist der Text eher dialoglastig oder wird viel beschrieben?
• Welche word fields geben dem novel extract eine bestimmte Stimmung?
• Welche Wirkung hat der point of view (Erzählperspektive)?
• Wie viel und was wissen die reader? Wurde den readern schon vorher im Roman etwas verraten?
• Wie werden die characters beschrieben und dargestellt?
• Wie ist die Charakterentwicklung (character arc) in dem Auszug?
• Welche Wirkung haben deren Aussagen und Gedanken?
• Gibt es imagery (bildliche Sprache), also z.B. metaphors, die benutzt werden? Welche Wirkung haben sie?
• Gibt es andere sprachliche Mittel?

conclusion

Wenn du eine conclusion schreibst, fokussiere dich auf die wesentlichen Ergebnisse und füge keine neuen Informationen hinzu (nicht mehr als 2-3 Sätze).

Sprache

Hier musst du einige Fachwörter kennen:

• novel extract - Romanauszug
• narrator - Erzähler/in
• plot - Handlung, wie sie im Text präsentiert wird
• story - die chronologische Handlung
• atmosphere - Stimmung / Atmosphäre

Beispiel

Information: The extract is from the novel "Girl, Woman, Other" by Bernardine Evaristo from 2019 (pp. 152-154). The novel follows different characters in and around London that are somehow connected. In this chapter, Carole, a successful banker, tells her Nigerian mother, Bummi, that she will marry a white English man called Freddy.

Task: Describe and explain the relationship between Bummi and Carole. Focus on language, narration and the atmosphere between the two.

introduction

The given extract from the novel "Girl, Woman, Other" by Bernardine Evaristo from 2019 deals with Bummi's reaction as her daughter Carole plans to marry a white English man and not a Nigerian man as she had hoped for. Through the use of language, especially questions, Nigerian English and imagery, a tense atmosphere is created.

main part

narration

• Bummi's point of view, a limited narrator
• a lot of dialogue as indirect speech: makes the text vivid

language

• after Carole tells her about the engagement, Bummi asks many questions in a row → this shows how unexpected this was for her
• there are no full stops (.) in the text, giving it an infinite feeling, connecting the characters in the extract
• after knowing that Carole is not marrying a Nigerian man, Bummi starts talking in Nigerian English
• it is easier for her to speak in her mother tongue than in proper English in this situation, because she is so angry
• also, it is like she is talking to her daughter as if she was a child
• it also emphasises her Nigerian roots, which her daughter ignores; Bummi says she uses "typical English" language, underscoring their differences in education

imagery & stylistic devices

• similie: the porridge in her mouth feels like "warm cement". Highlights her shock in the moment, as she cannot swallow it
• metaphor: "fireworks going off in her brain". Underscores the effect that this information has on her, as it is really important and exciting at first because she wants her daughter to get married
• allusion: Bummi alludes to the hospital, actually stating its address, in which Carole was born, reminiscing about the time she was a baby, unable to see her as a grown up woman. It shows, how she still considers Carole her daughter and loves her, despite being so disappointed

conclusion

Concluding, there is a very tense relationship between Bummi and Carole in this extract as a lively atmosphere is created through the dialogue between the two. Bummi's excitement and disappointment are shown in imagery, the use of questions and Nigerian English, underscoring her Nigerian roots. Despite her disappointment, Bummi still loves her daughter, highlighted by the lack of full stops, connecting Bummi and her daughter textually.