"The truth is hard to plough" : notes on narrative coherence in Vančura's Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví Cover Image

"Pravda se zle oře" : poznámky k narativní koherenci Vančurovy Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví
"The truth is hard to plough" : notes on narrative coherence in Vančura's Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví

Author(s): Martin Lukáš
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Czech Literature
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Vladislav Vančura; Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví; narrative coherence; periphrases; proverbs; idioms; topic-comment structure; Vladislav Vančura; Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví; narativní koherence; perifráz

Summary/Abstract: The narrative strategy of Vančura's fifth novel Hrdelní pře anebo Přísloví (1930) is based on the periphrastic forms which slow down the narration and reduce its coherence. This is realized especially by embedding proverbs and sayings into the narrator's speech and the characters' dialogues. Having the character of gnomic set phrases, the proverbs become unfamiliar in the new context and serve as specific means of evaluating and explicating the course of events. This strategy is also reflected in the way Vančura deals with the topic-comment structure of his novel, which corresponds to its central theme – the elusiveness of reality.

  • Issue Year: 24/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 100-114
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Czech
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