Use of graphic stylistic means in Nancy Horan’s historical fiction

Abstract

The article presents the systematic study of use and functioning of graphic stylistic means in the novel Loving Frank by the contemporary American writer Nancy Horan. The method of continuous sampling was used to analyze 300 textual fragments in which the author uses graphic stylistic means and that represent the peculiarities of the use and functioning of these devices in the novel.The analysis was carried out taking into account the type of graphic devices and the function they fulfill in the novel. The two most common types of graphic means used in the text of the novel were identified: italics and capitalization. The use of italics included the cases of graphic font marking for the emphasis of individual words and phrases; text fragments in foreign languages; inserted texts; and the inner speech of the characters. The graphic stylistic devices of the second type include capitalization used for the emphasis of individual words and presentation of the text of inscriptions, signs, etc. The variation of graphic representation of the word performs the function of intonational emphasis or emphatic stress in a written text; attracts the reader’s attention as one of the graphic means in different types of signs and helps to imitate the text of the inscription, which reflects the realities of the time period described in the novel, especially important in the genre of historical fiction. Different types of graphic stylistic devices are used both individually and in combination, complementing each other and thus enhancing the stylistic effect in the text. Thus, the peculiarities of the use of graphic stylistic devices in Nancy Horan’s novel Loving Frank include high frequency and variety of their types playing important role as text markers to attract readers’ attention and deepen their comprehension of the novel.