ANALYSIS1. The title is given (think how it is related to the subject and the idea of the story). The title of the story is “A Very Dangerous Invention”.
2. Use books or Internet for reference to find out the basic facts about the author. Mind that it is preferable to mention the facts that are essential or in some way helpful for the interpretation of the text. These are primarily the country he/she lived and worked in, the time span of creative activity, the most famous works and their genre, target audience, the degree of popularity, the main reasons for becoming famous/classic.
It was written by (The author of the story is) Max Adeler. Max Adeler is the pen name of the American writer Charles Heber Clark, who lived in the second half of the XIXth – the beginning of the XXth century. He is known mostly as the author of the collection of eccentric and humorous stories “Out of the Hurly Burly”. The text that is being analyzed is a part of this book.
3. “A Very Dangerous Invention” is a humorous short story. (It is fiction though the author might have used details from real life).
4. The subject of the story is the purchase of a combination step-ladder which could also be used as a settee and an ironing-table and which was supposed to be very useful.
5. To give plot summary it is essential to analyze the paragraphs. Typically all good writing is carried out in coherent, clear-cut and at the same time logically connected paragraphs. A proper paragraph usually contains a main idea (a thesis) and a number of supporting details. For recounting the sequence of events it is necessary to define the main idea of each paragraph. In other words, to give a concise and logical plot summary you should understand what each paragraph boils down to. To make the summary coherent use temporal or cause-effect linking words and phrases (e.g. after that, finally, as a result etc.). See Appendix 5 – Useful Vocabulary. The sample text contains 7 paragraphs. Note how the following sentences correspondingly convey their main ideas and, accompanied by a few supporting details, make up a summary. Pay attention to the use of linking words and phrases.
(1) The story opens with the description of the functions which a step-ladder can have in a household. (2) However, the narrator advises against buying one particular model, namely the one which combines three functions: a step-ladder, an ironing-table and a settee. The narrator himself bought such a step-ladder and soon discovered it was not as useful as the shop assistant had promised. (3) In fact, the three-functional step-ladder proved dangerous. For example, the narrator’s maid-servant fell down from it as the step-ladder unexpectedly turned into an ironing-table. (4) Then the narrator decided to use the step-ladder only as an ironing-table, but someone accidentally knocked against it. As a result, the ironing-table turned into a step-ladder causing further damage. (5) Finally, the narrator tried using the step-ladder as a settee, but this attempt was not successful either. (6) After that the step-ladder became so sensitive that it transformed even after slightest disturbances. Therefore, it was dangerous to keep it in the house. (7) So, in the end, the narrator regretted his purchase and was thinking of a way to get rid of the step-ladder.
6. Composition in a story shows the development of action. The action of a story is a sequence of events usually arranged so as to have three recognizable parts: the beginning (exposition where the setting is usually described), the middle (rising action with a series of turning-points and climax) and the end (outcome, or dénouement). In contrast to real life, action in fiction is usually ordered. It imitates in words a series of human activities with a power to affect the reader’s opinions and emotions in a certain way. This is the basic principle of fiction which arouses the readers’ interest: it makes them eager to learn what is going to happen and how the problems faced by the characters are going to be solved. Action produces tension, suspense or surprise.
The story is set in a typical house where a step-ladder is supposed to be a very useful item. The action begins when the narrator buys a combination step-ladder which he expects to be of great use. The plot develops as the narrator tries using the step-ladder in all its functions one by one. Each time the step-ladder fails to fulfil its function, and, on the contrary, causes damage. The story reaches its climax when the step-ladder becomes so sensitive that it proves dangerous to keep. Here the author obviously uses hyperbole [ exaggerates things] to make his point clearer. In the dénouement the narrator makes up his mind to get rid of the step-ladder and to sell it to a museum as a curiosity.
7. The story is told by a first-person narrator because he relates what happened to himself. This underscores that the advice against buying the combination step-ladder given in the story is sincere and is based on personal experience.
8. In the story which is being analyzed there are no “proper” characters. However, in this case we can still distinguish the narrator as a character and the step-ladder, which is in the centre of the plot. The servants may be considered as supporting characters. For a more detailed description of human characters see Appendix 3.
The main “character” of the story is a three-functional step-ladder which is personified: it is “too sensitive” and behaves in an unpredictable way, it does not obey the will of its owner, causes damage in the household and seems to do so on purpose. It can be described as “ temperamental ” (it does not work properly). The author uses mixed method while describing the step-ladder. On the one hand, the narrator explicitly speaks of it as “not so useful”, “too sensitive” and as “a curiosity” (direct method). For the most part, however, the step-ladder “acts” for itself supporting the narrator’s description (indirect method). The other main character is the narrator himself. At the beginning of the story he considers himself practical but in fact he is a bit naïve as he believes everything the shop assistant tells him. The narrator is honest and self-critical as he recognizes his mistake. We can also note that he has a sense of humour as at the end, in spite of money loss and the damage, the narrator speaks of the step-ladder as a curiosity fit for museums. Hence, the narrator is a dynamic character as he becomes more experienced towards the end of the story. There are several supporting characters. They are the narrator’s servants. Their function is to illustrate the misfortunes caused by the step-ladder.
Mind that it is advisable to give reasoning based on details taken from the text while ascribing certain personal traits to the characters.
9. The central idea of the story is that customers should, perhaps, be more critical about new products, especially those which seem to economize their money by combining several functions. The three-functional step-ladder symbolizes all the products which are seemingly designed for the convenience of the customers but in fact prove useless and even harmful. This idea is conveyed in an amusing manner as the narrator tells what happened to himself with a sense of humour. The title of the story reflects its subject matter, foreshadows the development of action and hints at the central idea.
APPENDIX 3. SAMPLE ANALYSIS: CHARACTER PORTRAYAL
Apart from obvious basic facts (age, sex, nationality, occupation, social status etc.) and portrait (the description of appearance and clothes), a literary text gives information about the personal traits of the characters and their inner world. This information is essential for the understanding of the main idea of a story. There are two main ways (methods) in which information about the characters’ personal traits and inner world can be given in a text:
• Direct portrayal(explicit representation). The narrator clearly states something about the character, describes him/her as a person. E.g. Mr. X. was very greedy. Madam N. was very kind and generous, but a bit light-minded.
• Indirect portrayal(implicit or dramatic representation). The characters act and speak. The narrator does not state anything about them directly and it is up to the reader to make inferences about their personal traits. E.g. Mr. X. refused to help his brother when the latter was in dire need. He said “It’s none of my business. You should solve your problem yourself”. The reader makes an inference that Mr. X was very greedy (cruel, unsympathetic etc.).
• Mixed portrayal (both methods of portrayal are combined). The two methods may even contradict each other so that the character is revealed in an unexpected way. This may be used for additional dramatic effect.
While making inferences about the characters’ personal traits you may use the vocabulary in Appendix 5 for clues.
The characters may also be: • main or supporting (secondary, incidental) • static (not developing) or dynamic (developing) • flat (one-sided) or round (many-sided, complex)
CHARACTER ANALYSIS FOR Text 1 “The Luncheon”
NOTE. It is always advisable to support your inferences about the characters by reasoning based on details taken from the text. You may also use quotes. The analysis (as well as the summary) may be written either in the Past or in the Present tense. The use of tenses should be logical and consistent.
The main characters of the story are the narrator as a young man and a woman who was his guest at the luncheon. Before the description of the luncheon the narrator gives the portrait of the woman. It is not very detailed, we learn only that she was older than him (about forty), not really attractive, but imposing. As to her manners, she is described as “talkative”. The main feature of her portrait, the one that caught the narrator’s eye at once is that she seemed to have too many teeth, i.e. her teeth were the most prominent feature of her portrait. Here the narrator uses a hyperbole (“she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose”). This feature foreshadows the further representation of this character. Showing the woman’s personal traits the narrator uses indirect method. During the luncheon the woman asked the narrator to order many dishes, choosing the most expensive ones. So she may be described as greedy and gluttonous. She did not understand or did not care that it was difficult for the young writer to pay for this. It was she who asked him to invite her to the first-rate French restaurant. Thus, she demonstrated selfishness and lack of understanding. In the course of the luncheon the woman repeatedly described her eating habits as very moderate (“I never eat more than one thing”) while she considered other people (including the narrator) to eat too much. This is a case of situational irony as the reader sees quite the contrary. This could be interpreted as hypocrisy, but in fact she was just devoid of self-criticism. She did not notice that her words were the contrary of what she was doing. This is proved by the fact that she evidently did not change her habits over the years and when the narrator saw her for the second time she weighed twenty-one stone (133 kilograms). The woman was obviously shallow and probably stupid. She had a false idea of herself: she flattered herself that she understood literature and art. That is why she wanted to have luncheon with a young writer. However, during their meeting she didn’t say a word about literature, though she was very talkative. She kept talking about food using the same arguments over and over again. She was self-centered and paid little attention to the writer. Her language was very poor and confined to the topic of food. The woman can be briefly described as greedy, selfish, superficial and uncritical. Therefore, she is a flat character. She is a static character as neither her habits nor manner of speaking seemed to have changed over the years (though, ironically, her appearance changed because of this). The narrator as a young man was a writer at the beginning of his career, who earned very little. Describing himself he also uses indirect method. Agreeing to have luncheon at the most expensive restaurant with his reader he was a bit naïve and vain at the same time. He expected the woman to talk about his works and was flattered. He was polite and tactful as he tried not to let her know he was short of money and never hinted at her overeating. He was resourceful because when his means were coming to an end he quickly invented in his mind a way to solve the problem. The narrator is a dynamic character. As a young man he was inexperienced but from the way he ironically describes this situation later we understand that he had changed. His manner is witty and self-critical. He obviously learned a lesson.
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