Laura by Saki
Stylistic analysis of a short story by Saki
"Laura"
The story under analysis is titled "Laura". It is written by British author, master of the short story Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki.
The very story belongs to fiction genre with a unique touch of mystery, psychological themes, as it concerned with two main heroines ' (Laura and Amanda) emotional states.
The tone of the story is full of irony and even sarcasm, especially in the dialogues and closing lines. The mysterious ideas and incredible circumstances provide the suspense and makes the text rather gripping and thought-provoking.
The story is told from the third person, who involves the reader in Amanda 's inner world. It is shown by the indirect method of characterization, as the characters are revealed through their speech, actions and behaviors.
The main heroines are Laura, a hasty, unadvised person, who possesses some eccentric ideas and her friend Amanda, more material and serious lady. The reader is merely introduced to them, so it is meant to find out about their personalities through the speech. Amanda is very concerned about Laura 's condition, because she was only given a couple of days to live. In spite of those dramatic perspectives, Laura is not afraid to die, because of her belief in reincarnation. She admits, that she has never been a nice person, so she is ready to become an animal in the next life, and than, may be, a little Nubian boy. From this point on, the complex and dynamic personalities with some vivid qualities are shown.
The biggest role in the text belongs to the dialogues. They help to create the settings of the story and reveal information about characters ' lives, beliefs and states. From the first setting it is possible to imagine a kind of a country town, as one of the minor characters (Egbert, Amanda 's husband) runs a farm. The atmosphere of the text is quite changeable, so in the end of the story the secondary setting of the Nile Valley
"Laura"
The story under analysis is titled "Laura". It is written by British author, master of the short story Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki.
The very story belongs to fiction genre with a unique touch of mystery, psychological themes, as it concerned with two main heroines ' (Laura and Amanda) emotional states.
The tone of the story is full of irony and even sarcasm, especially in the dialogues and closing lines. The mysterious ideas and incredible circumstances provide the suspense and makes the text rather gripping and thought-provoking.
The story is told from the third person, who involves the reader in Amanda 's inner world. It is shown by the indirect method of characterization, as the characters are revealed through their speech, actions and behaviors.
The main heroines are Laura, a hasty, unadvised person, who possesses some eccentric ideas and her friend Amanda, more material and serious lady. The reader is merely introduced to them, so it is meant to find out about their personalities through the speech. Amanda is very concerned about Laura 's condition, because she was only given a couple of days to live. In spite of those dramatic perspectives, Laura is not afraid to die, because of her belief in reincarnation. She admits, that she has never been a nice person, so she is ready to become an animal in the next life, and than, may be, a little Nubian boy. From this point on, the complex and dynamic personalities with some vivid qualities are shown.
The biggest role in the text belongs to the dialogues. They help to create the settings of the story and reveal information about characters ' lives, beliefs and states. From the first setting it is possible to imagine a kind of a country town, as one of the minor characters (Egbert, Amanda 's husband) runs a farm. The atmosphere of the text is quite changeable, so in the end of the story the secondary setting of the Nile Valley