CONTENT-ANALYSISAS A METHOD OF INVESTIGATING

AND DESCRIBING THEMATIC CHAINS(ON THE MATERIAL

OF A. KUPRIN’S Olesya)

The Actuality of the Investigation

The following investigation is up-to-date and important, as far as the category

of theme has not been perfectly described in the linguistic studies.

Theme is a central category of any text, that is why it is necessary to define the

methodology of its analysis.

Categorical analysis has not been applied yet to A. Kuprin’s stories (we did not

manage to find any corresponding investigations).

HypothesisIf we analyze the thematic chain in the work taken, we will be able to see its peculiarities in the aspects of combinations and locations.

Purpose

Defining the peculiarities of thematic chains

combinations and locations in Alexander

Kuprin’s text Olesya.

Objectives

To extract the peculiarities of thematic chains explications in the text taken.To define what a zero nomination is.To find out zero nominations in the thematic chains explicated.To observe the peculiarities of the zero nominations as combined with the

non-zero ones.

The object of investigation: the category of theme.

The subject of investigation: zero nominations .in thematic explications

Methods of investigation: structural, quantitative methods, the content-

analysis.

STRUCTURE

The paper (dissertation) consists of introduction, two chapters, conclusion and bibliography.

In the appendices 1 and 2, there have been presented the complete texts of the chapters analyzed.

CHAPTER I

The following objectives are being solved: To extract the peculiarities of thematic chains

explications in the text taken.To define what a zero nomination is.

According to the first of the objectives set, we have described the peculiarities of thematic chain explication in a fiction work.

In accordance with the second objective, a definition of the zero nomination was given, and the cases discussed of its possible appearance and/or representation..

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER IIThe following objectives are being solved:To find out zero nominations in the thematic chains explicated.To observe the peculiarities of the zero nominations as combined

with the non-zero ones.

In straight accordance with the next two objectives, we have found out and described all the specifics of combining zero and non-zero nominations in a fiction text.

CHAPTER II

THEMATIC CHAINS SAMPLESOf the story-teller (§ 2.2.)

Я – я – Ø – Ø – соколик – меня – тебе – Ø – Ø – меня – барин – Ø – батюшка – мне – тебе – Ø – Ø – Ø – тебе (12)

Of Yarmola (§ 2.3.)

Ярмола – своей – он – он – я – ты – Ярмола – полесовщика – мне – Ярмола – ты – мне – Ø – я – он (17)

Of hunting (§ 2.4.)

Заячий след – Ø – Ø – заяц – Ø – Ø – его – Ø – Ø – его – собака – его – лай Рябчика – лай собаки – зверем – собаке – охотничий полесский крик – собака – огромный серый заяц – Ø – Ø – ним – Рябчик – он –

Ø – Ø – зайца – ему – он – он – собака (2)

THE FOLLOWING THEMATIC CHAINS WERE ALSO FOUND:

Of Manujlikha(§ 2.5.) Of Olesya(§ 2.6.)

RESULTSThe peculiarities of the thematic chains explication were observed, their combinatoric variants described. Therefore, the objectives set are completed. For the first time has the categorical analysis been applied to A. Kuprin’s text.

THE PERSPECTIVES

Quantitative (chapters can be compared to each other).

Qualitative (the category of theme to be compared to the other categories explicated in the text).

Statistic and content analyses.