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Textual Analysis between Chapter two of Harry Potter the book and the same excerpt from Harry Potter the film.
To quote from Trask, textual analysis is an approach that focuses upon the varying purposes of different text and upon the explicit identification of the formal linguistic properties which distinguish one type of text from another (1999:313).
By studying many linguistic elements of both the novel excerpt and the transcript from the Harry Potter story The Chamber of Secrets, each genre will show their unique demands whilst maintaining the overall essence of the story and its intended audience. Elements to be expected in the novel are a greater evidence of descriptive language and the text will be longer in length. In terms of grammar and lexicon, the variation should be slight because the intended audience remains the same.
Discourse markers
Discourse markers in a written text such as the novel are easily identifiable in a number of ways. Firstly, the novel is written in the third person, therefore the use of the first person in may I and I'm sorry immediately indicates speech. Contractions, as seen in the previous example and other informal speech patterns such as, this isn't a great time appear only in the spoken element of the text. Traditional grammatical rules of punctuation are also over-ruled. For example, the hyphen signals a word continuation (or)..it combines the parts of a compound form (Crystal 2004:380), however in the conversation between Dobby and Harry, the hyphen signals stuttering or a pause: Th-thank you. Direct speech also announces itself using speech marks.
The transcript is continuous dialogue and is not intended to be read as a text. It is clear however, that in both texts the discourse is intended to be understood as an informal conversation, due to its short phrases and direct questions.
Lexis
In simple terms, lexis is the study of the use of words and an important aspect of creating style or register (Campsall: 2004).
The novel will have more markers of register in its lexicon as there are no visual aids. The lexis proves that the book is aimed at children through lexical items such as little creature (with) bat-like ears.. and term starts on September the first. The actions and reactions of a child are conveyed through careful lexical choice, eg sprang and hiccoughing as well as whispered frantically and funny choking noise.
In the transcript other methods are employed to indicate the same actions: whispered frantically is conveyed by repetition please stop! Dobby shush, Dobby please stop! Stop. and the funny choking noise is indicated by pauses, a lack of punctuation and an unfinished sentence. Even by varying the lexicon both texts have achieved the same result.
Pragmatics
Pragmatics is the study of meaning beyond the language and into a non-linguistic context, which often reflects social attitudes (Kuiper and Allen, 1996:178).
In the context of Harry Potter, pragmatics illustrates the hierarchical elements to the relationship between Harry and Dobby and then Harry and his uncle. Initially Dobby is described only as a creature with no discernable sex. He is given attributes that are considered as undesirable in modern Britain, such as bulging eyes, big ears and a long thin noise, all of which transmit Harry's horror and shock in an effective way. In both texts the repeated use of the word sir by Dobby instantly conveys him as being subservient just as the use of strong imperatives by Harry shows him to be in charge. This pattern is also repeated with Uncle Vernon and Harry, with the later now being subservient.
Grammar
According to Crystal, grammar is the study of how sentences mean (2004:9). Each language has patterns of construction that ensure all speakers communicate in the same way.
Grammar is crucial to both these excerpts for differing reasons. The book uses continuous prose which follows grammatical rules, eg: subject+verb+object , the creature+slipped off+the bed. Evidently this descriptive element is lost in the transcript and replaced by images. Relating back to the hierarchy issue discussed above, the language used by Harry and Dobby is an extension of this with Harry speaking grammatically well in the main and Dobby contrasting with this. His use of the third person to speak about himself and his irregular syntax compounds his child-like, subservient status: so long has Dobby wanted to meet you. This has also been retained in the transcript.
Semantics
Semantic fields, within the study of semantics, are a group of words that cover one territory (Kuiper and Allen, 1996:171) and are used more explicitly in the novel text. There is a semantic field for fast-paced movement with a child-like connotation leapt sprung and bounded. In the transcript, such movement is relayed through images or in the direction.
Demonstrative markers, such as this, that, these and here are interesting to compare. They always point to a space or time in a speech situation (Trask, 1999:250) and require a context. In the book, there is always a description directly before or after each marker in way of explanation, for example when Dobby shows Harry the letters. The visual medium of film, means that explanation is unneccessary.
Phonology
Phonology considers the sound system of language (Trask, 1999:235), taking into account prosodic features such as tone, pitch and volume, which are unique to each language and are learnt indirectly.
In the book there are indicators which guide the reader as to the tone of a particular spoken section, for example, uncertainty er - hello. Punctuation such as question marks and exclamation marks are also indicators, as are adverbs, eg earnestly, politely. The transcript relies heavily on the natural impulse of the actor to add his/her own prosodic features and paralinguistic elements, with some indication given in brackets. The transcript also has the advantage of facial expression.
Conclusion and Evaluation
The introduction stated that the essential differences between the two excerpts would be found in length and level of description. This was found to be correct, with a much higher percentage of adverbs, adjectives and descriptive phrases found in the novel, adding considerable length. The heavy reliance on visual and paralinguistic elements for a transcript removes the need for much description. As expected, there was a similarity in the lexis and grammar, however the transcript adapted its lexicon to portray emotions without the need for description. Semantics, discourse markers and phonology were all affected due to the change in genre from novel to film.
I believe that the transition between genres for this novel has been very successful. The transcript retains much of the original dialogue and the register and audience have been carefully considered. The shorter transcript looses nothing of the story as it is transferred to images.
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Bibliography
Campsall, Steve. Glossary of Linguistic Terms. (2004). Found on http://www.englishbiz.co.uk
Carroll, David. Psychology of Language. (1986) California:Brooks/Cole.
Crystal, David. Making Sense of Grammar. (2004) Essex: Pearson Education.
Kearns, Kate. Semantics (2000) London: Macmillan Press.
Kuiper, K and Allen, W Scott. An Introduction to English Language. (1996) London: Macmillan.
Trask, R.L. Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. (1999) London: Routledge.
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