Study of the linguistic characteristics of the tales of famous storytellers

2.2 Stylistic devices of the famous fairy tale.
The text belongs to Belles-lettres style, namely emotive prose.
Belles-lettres style of all the functional styles of language, the most difficult to define is the belles-lettres style. Franz Kafka defines this style as “organised violence done on ordinary speech”. Literary works create their own world. Each is a unique entity. Just as a painter uses paint to create a new image, a writer uses words to create a text. An important thing to recognise about literary works is just how carefully and consciously they are crafted. Words are the raw material of literature and literary writers stretch them to their limits.
Within the text the reader is to find the realization of two functions. The function aims at giving the reader a feeling of pleasure. The second one provides the reader with the information necessary for that.
The functions predetermine not only the author’s selection of vocabulary and syntax, but also the composition of the text. According to its contents the text can be divided into three parts:
1. The introduction of the situation.
2. The attempts of the Rabbit to win the competition.
3. The denouement of the story. The Rabbit became the King.
Though the text cannot be called rich in different text forms, it nevertheless has quite a complicated structure. The dialogues seem to prevail, however the author begins his story with the narrative: “Once upon a time there was a King who had no children…”
There are also several short narrative in the body of the text. Beside the narrative there is a great number of dialogues between the King and the Rabbit, the Chancellor and the King etc.
For example:

1. 
   “Yes, Your Majesty “
   

“Then I don't think much of it.”
“Thank you. Your Majesty.”
“What you are trying to say is. "Who will be the next King'.’" Quite so. Your Majesty.”
“'Alt'.’ The King was silent for a little Then lie said. I can tell you who won’t be “

2. 
   'Ah!' What sort of fighting'’
   

'W'ith swords.' said the King '* '•
'I am a little lusty with swords, but I daresay in a day or two-’’
'It will be now.' said the King.
'You mean. Your Majesty, as soon as Lord Calomel has re-covered his breath?'

3. 
   'Let someone take a note of that answer,’ said the King; where¬upon the Chief Secretary wrote down: 'Lord Calomel— "dormouse "'
   

'Now,' said the King to Rabbit, 'what suggestion have you to make in this matter?'
One of the most possible ways of dividing the Expressive Means and Stylistic Devices, in which the text is rich, is to distinguish the Stylistic devices used for portraying different personages and the situation itself.
Introduction in the form of narrative and a dialogue between the King and the Chancellor represents a stylistic device such an anaphora: “If only we had a son! If only we had! If only we had a daughter!”
These sentences reveal the reader the whole despair of the King and the Queen of having no children. In order to show the authority of the King the author uses break-in-the-narrative: “In the event of Your Majesty’s death…” Chancellor coughed and began again. Moreover, everyone in the story call the King “Your Majesty”.
The attitude of the King to the Rabbit is shown through next stylistic devices. Break-in-the-narrative: “I am a little rusty with swords, but I daresay in a day or two…” and here the King interrupts him: “It will be now”. This sentence emphasis the fury and intolerance of the King to the Rabbit. To reflect the craftiness of the King the author uses, firstly, irony “I have long felt that a progressive country such as ours might well strike out a new line in the matter. Let us agree that in future seven sixes are ‘fifty-four’”, said the Rabbit to the King. Secondly, sarcasm “We can always have a race for a new Chancellor afterwards”.
And, what about the Rabbit? He is also crafty and sometimes foxy. The author reveals all these qualities through the next stylistic devices. Anaphora and polysyndeton at the same time “And when it was seen that the young Lord rose from the ground… And Rabbit, dropping his sword for a moment cheered too… And there he lay”. Through the number of hyperbole Milne attempt to show how the Rabbit tries to look intelligent, noble and graceful: “Rabbit trotted to the Royal Pavilion, and dropped his sword in the Chancellor’s lap”; but when the Rabbit is not at the King’s place he behaved less intelligent: “Rabbit galloped back to his home in the wood, pondering deeply”.
To reflect the Rabbit’s disregard to Lord Calomel. The author uses inversion and irony: “I have a great respect of the young Lord Calomel, but I think that in this matter he is mistaken”. “In that case the answer, as Lord Calomel has pointed out, is fifty-four”.
Although there are little direct description of the personages, the author uses indirect methods of characterization through people’s actions, their words and the manner of speaking.
The title of the text is very symbolic and contains the idea in a compressed way. “Prince Rabbit” is the conclusion of the story, the title reveals the denouement of the story, because at the beginning nobody knows if the Rabbit would become the King.