The Man of Property (1906)

In this first novel of the Forsyte Saga, after introducing us to the impressive array of Forsytes headed by the formidable Aunt Ann, Galsworthy moves into the main action of the saga by detailing Soames Forsyte's desire to own things, including his beautiful wife, Irene Forsyte (née Heron). He is jealous of her friendships and wants her to be his alone. He concocts a plan to move her to the country, to Robin Hill and a house he has had built, away from everyone she knows and cares about. She resists his grasping intentions and falls in love with the architect Philip Bosinney who has been engaged by Soames to build the house. However, Bosinney is the fiancé of her friend June Forsyte, the daughter of Soames's cousin Jolyon. There is no happy ending: Irene leaves Soames after he rapes her, and Bosinney dies under the wheels of a cab after being driven frantic by the news of Irene's rape by Soames.

The Place of the passage in the book.

The beginning of the chapter 11 (second section of the Part II). This extract is a description of the dinner in Forsyte’s house. The Forsytes (Soames and Irene) have invited June (Soames’ niece) and her fiancé Philip Bosinney for a dinner. Irene and Philip are falling in love with each other, so for them this dinner is a kind of date (rendezvous). They are totally preoccupied with each other and as every loving couple in the situation when they are not alone they use general ingenious phrases as a secret language for initiated (they create a double-coded system; examples: “It’s the first spring day.” – “Yes — the first spring day.”, “Phil, have you heard my blackbird?” - “Rather — he’s got a hunting-song. As I came round I heard him in the Square.”

“He’s such a darling!” and etc.). Soames and June feeling they are not wanted there react according to their character: June was acting capricious (Spring!” said June: “there isn’t a breath of air!, Cutlets were handed, each pink-frilled about the legs. They were refused by June, and etc.), Soames tried to break into the love sanctum maintaining his role of the master of the house (“You’ll find it dry.”, “This charlottes good!”and etc.). But all their efforts were in vain (Bosinney cried: “I’m coming.”/Soames smiled a sneering smile, and said: “I wish you luck!” /And at the door Irene watched them go./Bosinney called: “Good night!” – Irene and Philip could not part with each other till the very last second).

The Linguopoetic device

The scene is constructed on the continuous contrasted repetition of major elements (silence vs. short phrases, course and drinks changes) that break it in numerous short episodes (as the result it seems that the dinner lasts for ages). The whole extract appears to be a double coded system (first code – language itself, second – its special meaning [we can even say that it is a triple-coded system because it is a literary text]) where plain ‘small talk’ phrases express deep and complex emotions (love, disturbance, jealousy and etc.) The logic of the utterances is pure associative (blackbird – spring chicken, charlotte scent-azalea scent-disturbance, There was such a glorious sunset. The sky’s all ruby still — so beautiful!”- “Underneath the dark.).

Stylistic Means.

Tropes:

irony: Soames smiled a sneering smile, and said: “ I wish you luck!”

personification: The stars are coming out.

metonymy: fish was brought, Water was given her (стертая-erased? то же относится и остальной пище)

Figures of Speech:

alliteration: s w athed around the neck w ith w hite; S alad, s ir?” S pring chicken was removed. L ong si l ence fo ll owed. Turkish coffee fo ll owed in ename ll ed (the spelling was changed by the author to mark the alliteration) cups.

anaphora: In silence the soup was finished — excellent, if a little thick; and fish was brought. In silence it was handed. Bosinney, better take some brandy.” Bosinney took a glass; they all arose. This charlottes good!” The charlotte was removed.

anadiplosis (repetition of the same word at the end of one and at the beginning of the following sense groups): Dinner began in silence; the women facing one another, and the men. In silence the soup was finished — excellent, if a little thick; and fish was brought (?).“Yes — the first spring day.”“ Spring!” said June:… “If only....” “Only what?”, Bosinney called: “ Good night!” “ Good night!” she answered softly....

climax: This year — next year — some time.

homeoteleuton (similar final component): wo men facing one another, and the men.

aposiopesis (breaking the narrative for rhetorical effect): In silence the soup was finished — excellent, if a little thick; and fish was brought.

The fish was taken away, a fine fresh sole from Dover.

syntactic parallelism (main device): No one replied/ But no one answered.| No one replied, Her

cloak was brought/ Water was given her/ Sugar was handed her (the same case with “was

removed”)

hypallage (transferred epithet): The sky’s all ruby still